


Strip Me of My Walls, Please

by screamingstrawberry



Category: Thomas Sanders
Genre: Human AU, M/M, boi i love to sin, elle is my favorite oc leave me alone, gonna get dirty in future chapters count on it, patton is a prostitute yes, roman and patton are coworkers and also besties, virgil is logan's brother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-03-29 05:12:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 34,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13920114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/screamingstrawberry/pseuds/screamingstrawberry
Summary: Logan hires a prostitute to pretend to be his boyfriend. Patton is a prostitute just trying to support his son when he falls with a very rich man needing him to pretend to be his boyfriend.





	1. Chapter 1

The door to the Sanders household opened, signaling Thomas had come back from school. As he wiped his shoes off on the mat near the door, Thomas tried not to think about the horrible bus ride he had had home. He gave himself a one over in the mirror on the wall next to him, staring back at him was a big, ugly, purple bruise right underneath his left eye. He could hear his father in the kitchen so he ran into his room as quickly as possible, shutting his bedroom door quietly but quickly behind him. 

He sat down at his desk/vanity, and pulled out a small portion of his makeup supplies starting work to cover up the bruise. His father had gotten him it as a gift, for when Thomas had started doing plays, and Thomas used to like to wear it to school, not as much anymore of course. 

“Kiddo! You home? I heard the door open.” His father said, at the other side of the door now. Thomas rushed, even though the bruise wasn’t completely gone, it at least looked like he was just tired.

“Yeah, I’m here, Dad.” The seven year old replied, and when his father opening the door, he was smiling. There was spaghetti sauce on his grey cardigan that was always wrapped around his shoulders.

“Dinner in about an hour, pumpkin. I’ve got to work tonight but Roman said he’ll come watch over you.” His father said, watching as Thomas looked over the couple of choices he had for eyeliner before Thomas nodded at him. His father saw something out of the corner of his eye and reached over, grabbing Thomas’s face quickly. Thomas jumped, hoping he hasn’t been found out. “You tired, hun?”

“Yeah.” Thomas looked longingly toward his bed, his father’s hand falling from his face,  a nap didn’t sound too bad right now, actually. 

“Get some rest.” His father leaned over Thomas to press a kiss to his forehead before leaving and shutting the door behind him. Thomas worked for a minute longer until you could barely see the bruise before jumping starfish style on top of his bed with the dark yellow bed sheets. He sighed, cuddling up with his favorite stuffed animal, Winnie the Pooh, before closing his eyes. He remembered his dad said something about thinking good thoughts before bed helped bring good dreams, so he fell asleep thinking about his father’s hugs.

\-----

Patton knew Thomas wasn’t telling him something, and he noticed the way the light reflected off some kind of makeup underneath one of his eyes more than the other. It could be he was trying something new, of course, but something felt off.  _ 3:35 _ , the clock said, two hours until his shift. 

He only had one job tonight, it shouldn’t be that long. He would do what he needed to do, or rather who he needed to do, and then get back home to figure out what was up with his son. Sure, his job was a little unorthodox, but it helped pay the bills all the same. Their house was small, only the essentials, and the neighborhood/school wasn’t all that great, but it was something. Patton only wished he could do better for Thomas, the bright boy that was the light of his life deserved so much more. 

The timer on the counter brought Patton out of his head, and he walked over to the oven trying to wipe away the tears at his eyes with his arm. He pulled the lasagna out of the oven, setting it on the counter, before turning to look at Thomas’ bedroom door. Thomas and Patton always had an early dinner on the nights Patton had to work, and then he would order pizza or something with whoever was babysitting him that night. Thomas had gained Patton’s love for food, but Patton always loved to feed so it was never a problem. 

“Thomas!” Patton knocked lightly on his son’s door but called a little loud so that Thomas could hear him. As he opened the door, Thomas rubbed his eyes, sitting up on his bed and cradling Winnie the Pooh to his chest. “Dinner’s ready kiddo.”

Dinner was like talking to one of those toys that said the same thing over and over again until you went insane and took out the battery. How was School? Fine. Your friends? Fine. How’s the homework going? Fine. The doorbell rang and Patton was clearing the plates, and the ‘Who Is It’ Thomas asked as he opened the door anyway was more words than he’d all night from him.

“Your highness, Royal Guard Roman, at your service.” The charming voice at the door replied, and Patton could almost picture Roman bowing at the door. Thomas giggled, his father’s attitude warming at the sound, and let the man inside their home. Roman plopped down on their couch, Thomas cuddling up next to him. Roman told Patton that the two normally watched movies and played pretend, but Thomas didn’t appear in any mood for the second option.

Roman clicked through Netflix as Patton came by, pressing a kiss to his cheek, before going around to pull Roman’s shoes off. He had forgotten to take them off, per usual, but Patton couldn’t blame him because he looked so darn cute running a hand through Thomas’s hair as Thomas hummed presumably a Disney song. “Who you working tonight?”

“New client. Scheduled me for like four hours.” Patton and Roman always tried to speak in cryptics about their work when Thomas around. Roman had been one of the first people Patton had met on the job, and the two quickly became best friends, and Roman had helped him a lot in the field. Patton didn’t have Roman’s body or his charm, but he was decent enough to make good money. Although Roman liked him as a friend either way, Patton was very grateful for his friend helping him out. 

“Good luck walking tonight.” Roman chuckled, Patton hitting him in the back of the head as he tossed the shoes by the doorway. Patton left his bedroom door open, changing into the gold sequin underwear before throwing on a light blue three piece suit over the bastardly thing. Patton hated wearing it, his chubby stomach stuck out over it, Roman looked fantastic in it,  but since it was their uniform he had to. 

“I’ll be taking the bus. See you later, kiddo.” Patton kissed Thomas’s cheek, staying put for a minute as Thomas mumbled something and wrapped his arms around Patton’s shoulders. Thomas let go after a while, and Patton kissed Roman on his hair. “Be good.”

“I will.” Thomas replied.

“I was talking to Roman.” Patton laughed, closing the door behind him. 

The bus ride wasn’t that bad. Patton had nearly fallen asleep and missed his stop but thankfully a text from Roman woke him up just in time. It wasn’t anything grand, but it was something Roman always did as a little reminder of why they did this or rather who they did this for. A blurry picture of a sleeping Thomas, looking more peaceful in his sleep than he had when Patton had just seen him. He couldn’t wait to get home. 

The house was huge, Patton could tell that whoever this was clearly had enough money to spend on a prostitute for weeks, let alone a couple of hours. He swallowed the lump in his throat he got on every doorstep he went to, tried to remember that this was just a job and then knocked. Next thing he knew though he was being tugged inside, man this guy must be really eager. Patton had a flash a light, he could remember hearing voices, and then it was pitch black. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Patton was in pitch black, he couldn’t see anything, he could only hear breathing. Oh god, he’d been kidnapped. They had kidnapped him, he was never going to see his son again. Thomas had no one other than Roman now, oh dear, Roman please protect him and feed him and give him Winnie-

“Sorry about that, I needed to talk to you.” The voice was calm, calculated, and incredibly attractive. The light turned on and Patton was met with quite possibly the most attractive face he had ever seen. As his eyes adjusted to the light they traced the man’s sharp jawline, and hopped from freckle to freckle.  Patton landed on the most striking eye color ever seen behind a pair of black Warby Parkers, they were almost grey with how calm of a blue they were. Patton could stare at them for hours, he wanted to stare at them for hours, he just, might be able to. “I’m Logan.”

“Patton.” He blushed, trying to hide his face as Logan smiled. God everything about this man was gorgeous. Patton watched something happen to the man’s face, he wasn’t sure quite what though. 

“Oh dear, this isn’t going to work.” Logan’s eyebrows furrowed together worriedly and before Patton had a chance to ask what that meant, Logan kept talking. “You’re far too attractive, there’s no way she’s going to believe I landed someone like you- oh my god-”

“Hey, take a breath.” Patton put his hands on the taller man’s shoulders, watching the blush form over his dark freckles, making them stick out more. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”

“Well, this may come as a surprise, but I have not hired you for sex. I’m sure if you would like to participate in coitus at the end of this evening, I would be more than happy to oblige, but I must ask you a favor first. You see my mother-” Logan stopped as he heard a voice come from outside, but it went away quickly and he relaxed again.

“Why don’t you just give me the simple version of what you want from me?” Patton realized his hands were still on Logan’s shoulders so he removed them and Logan made a small sound of something, he wasn’t really sure.

“Ineedyoutopretendtobemyboyfriendforaveryawkwarddinnerwithmysiblingsandmyoverprotectivemother.” Logan spoke so fast, like he was holding it for so long, and when Patton only raised an eyebrow in confusion, he took a breath before repeating himself. “I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend for a very awkward dinner with my siblings and my overprotective mother.” 

“Okay.” Patton said before he realized what he was saying. It certainly wasn’t the weirdest request he had received in this business, plus Logan was really cute. “I’ll do it.” 

“Yeah?” Logan looked ecstatic, it looked well, great on him.

“And you don’t have to have sex with me as a payback or whatever.” Patton said, stepping even closer to Logan than he already was, he assumed they were in the closet or whatever. Patton’s eyes moved from those beautiful grey eyes down to the pink, full lips towards the bottom of Logan’s face. Logan was taller than him so his eyes were eye level with Logan’s lips anyway. “But I do have a question.”

“Yes?” Logan’s voice sounded breathier than before, and they were so close that Patton could feel it against the space in between his eyebrows. 

“Can I kiss you?” Patton really wanted to. Any of his previous clients were not nearly as beautiful as Logan, Roman always got the good ones because of his body, hell Roman himself paled in comparison to the man in front of him.

“Please.” Logan’s voice whined, and Patton felt a burn in his veins at the sound. He’d probably used the word beautiful too many times in his head by now, but god this man was fucking beautiful.

Patton kept his eyes open, not closing them until the very moment their lips met, and god was that more amazing than Patton had ever felt in his life. Logan relaxed against Patton, the guy seemed to be pretty intense, and Patton was almost going to pull away when Logan placed his hands on either side of Patton’s hips. He moved them backwards, towards a wall, Patton thinks he was going to get slammed against a wall and utterly wrecked and honestly he wouldn’t even mind by how arousing this man was, but then Patton feels the flush of Logan’s body as the other man hits the wall with another whine. He’s letting Patton take the lead, and Patton never got to do that, especially not with someone who looked like this. 

“Wait.” Patton’s hand had moved to Logan’s hair, tugging once and Patton had thought Logan enjoyed based on the open O of his mouth as he gasped but he must of been wrong.

“Sorry.” Patton replied as Logan placed his hands on Patton’s chest, willing him to move apart.  _ Too bad _ , Patton really wanted to frown, _ I was enjoying myself _ . 

“No, it’s just, my mother is going to be here soon and as much as I’d like you to screw me in this closet, that would be not be practical or efficient in this moment.” Logan’s voice was barely as put together as it had been before, oh Patton didn’t just want to screw this man, he wanted to keep him locked up from the rest of the world just because of what that voice was doing to him. 

“Okay.” Patton smiled, running his tongue along his lips just to be playful but also to taste Logan on his lips. It was faint, but Patton loved it nonetheless. 

“So, um, god you’re making this, and me, really hard.” Logan stuttered, and Patton blushed, hiding his face in the shoulder of Logan’s shirt. “So you can answer questions however she’d like, I haven’t told her anything about you so.” 

Patton watched as Logan’s hands, which had previously been gesticulating along with his words, fell flat against his sides. “Would you like to know about me?” 

Patton wanted to be shy, what if he didn’t care and only wanted you for this one thing and then was going to dump you to the curve, but Logan nodded so enthusiastically that he had to give in. “Well my name is Patton Sanders, I have a son named Thomas. My best friend is Roman Prince, yes like the musician. Oh! And I like the color blue.” 

“A son?” Logan asked. “I also like blue, but I prefer a much darker shade, although the green of your eyes seems to be my second favorite color.” 

“Thank you.” Patton blushed. “But yeah, a son! He’s seven and the most important thing in the world to me. He’s why I do, well, this. To give him a good life.”

Logan face turned soft and Patton almost thought he got too serious but then he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. “I have only known you a few minutes but I’m absolute shit with emotions so if I don’t get this out now you’ll never hear it. You’re hot, an amazing kisser, and that statement was one of the most honest things I’ve ever heard.”

“You don’t sound like someone who is bad with feelings.” Patton replied shortly. “But thank you.”

“Oh I’m garbage. You’ll see it soon enough, feel okay leaving the closet?” Logan held out his hand and pulled them outside, Patton saw the white walls of Logan’s house behind him. 

“I’m coming out of the closet.” Patton paused, a smirk gracing his lips. “Again.”

“That was not funny.” Logan said, giving him one of those breathy laughs though as he shook his head. Logan guided him through his house, upstairs to the second floor, and oh goodness gracious there was a third floor. The shoe closet they had been in and the garage had been on a floor all by themselves. The sound of voices got louder as Logan brought Patton closer to the living room. 

Logan stopped and stood in front of Patton to block him from seeing the other people in room until he was ready. Logan’s back straightened and greeted his guests. “Hey.”

“Jesus, Lo, if we had known you were going to let him screw you senseless first, we would’ve put on a movie or something.” One of the voices snickered. 

“Virgil!” A female voice, or a high pitched male one, Patton didn’t assume, said. 

“So where is the macho golden stripper?” Another, different voice said.

“Guys.” Logan’s voice was stern and even Patton felt the urge to keep his mouth closed. “This is Patton.”

Logan stepped away and Patton was greeted with the sight of three people and a small child. There was a blonde man, taller than the rest who had his arms wrapped around the woman with dark red hair similar to Patton’s own color. A child, who was probably the couple’s, sat on the ground strumming a small ukulele pretty skillfully for his age, which looked to be about two years younger than Thomas. The third adult was sat on top of the back of the couch, and he looked the most different. While Logan, the man and the child were all in grey suits, this man was in a black dress shirt and black pants. The dress shirt had frill that made it look torn and the pants were quite tight to his legs. 

“I wouldn’t call myself macho, though.” Patton tried to smile, but even his own words caused it to falter. It was true, he was short and kind of chubby, not enough to notice, but enough for Patton to hate it. 

“Patton, this is my sister, Elle, her husband, Damien, and their son Jon.” His open hand landed on the blond child who walked up to Patton, shook his hand without saying a word, and then sat down again back to strumming his ukulele. 

“Nice to meet you.” Patton giggled. 

“I’m Virgil, Logan’s twin brother.” The last person said, and Patton honestly wouldn’t have known. Virgil had streaks of purple towards the front of his hair, and dark eyeshadow underneath his eyes. It starked against the pristine look of Logan’s grey three piece. 

“So, second guessing agreeing?” Virgil asked and Patton shook his head.

“Nope, I’m in wonderful company. Logan’s charming and handsome, and you’re an absolute delight!” Jon, the small child, snickered at Patton’s compliment, and he almost felt he’d said something wrong but Logan reassured him. There was a light arm on the crease of his elbow, that carried the look of amazement in Logan’s eyes at the shorter man next to him. This was going to be a wonderful night. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Roman.” Thomas’s voice broke the semi-silent scene. Roman was drifting, nearly asleep, as the lion king played in the background. 

“What’s up, my little prince?” Roman asked, letting his fingers fall from Thomas’s hair to the top of his forehead. He tapped out a gentle and slow melody against his forehead, watching as Thomas’s eyes closed and he relaxed.

“Do you know how to cover bruises with makeup?” Thomas practically purred with how calm Roman was making him. Roman bit his lip, taking in the words before taking in a deep breath.

“Yes.” He replied, he was truthful. After all he’d been with, well he wouldn’t get into that if he didn’t have to. Thomas looked at him with concern in his eyes, but that faded into a nervousness in his hands as he fidgeted.

“Can you teach me?” Thomas asked and Roman nodded, why did Thomas need to cover bruises?

“Sure.” Roman said, and Thomas got up from the couch and headed towards his bedroom. Oh, he would have to talk to Patton later. There was no way Patton knew, he could only imagine the broken look of his best friend at his son having bruises.

Thomas returned with a makeup bag and set it in Roman’s lap. Roman swallowed, they should really talk, but Roman knew Thomas well enough to know that if he wanted to, he would. Roman stood up, handing the bag back to Thomas as he headed for the Sanders’ bathroom. “We’ve got to wash our face first.”

Thomas followed behind him watching as Roman took one of the wash clothes and got it wet. He wiped gently but fast away at his own face, turned away from Thomas until he was done. “Close your eyes.”

Thomas did, as he felt the washcloth run over his eyes, wondering if Roman had noticed when he’d come in. Patton had noticed something was wrong, but maybe Roman was a little more ept in makeup. When Roman mumbled an okay, Thomas opened his eyes and was met with a face much more damaged than his own. Roman had a cut along his jaw, bruises underneath both eyes, and his whole face was a reddish tint. 

Thomas nodded, reaching into his makeup bag and setting up some makeup on the kitchen counter, before turning back to Roman with a smile. “What should I start with?”

“Concealer.” Roman mumbled. “For red marks like my cut, use green. For purple or blue marks, use the yellow one.”

Thomas nodded, beginning to do as Roman told him on Roman’s face. Roman let his eyes fall shut as he felt Thomas’s brush dance across his face. Thomas hummed as he did so, Someday My Prince Will Come from Cinderella, and Roman held back a smile as Thomas listened to his instructions throughout his singing.

“Done.” Thomas said, finishing with the translucent. The foundation was a little dark for Roman, but not enough for anyone to notice. Thomas had done well. “Can you make it, us, wel pretty?”

“I don’t know Thomas, we’re already gorgeous. I don’t think the public could handle it.” Roman said, covering Thomas’s bruise much faster than the boy had done for him. Patton would need to know, but Roman would talk to him about it in the morning. Roman added eyeliner with wings, three tone eyeshadow and even contour on Thomas, left himself bare.

“Only Dad is going to see us.” Thomas laughed, but as he went to leave, Roman grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back towards him, hugging him.

“Who?” Roman whispered, hoping he didn’t have to say anymore, Roman didn’t want to talk about it just as much as Thomas, but they had to.

“Bullies.” Thomas said, and Roman thanked Patton in his head for getting Thomas waterproof makeup, because oh god now the kid was crying. Roman couldn’t do this, he couldn’t-“What about you?”

“Just one. Andrew.” Roman didn’t think he could say more, but he didn’t have to. Thomas pulled back, pressed a kiss to Roman’s cheek, and put all of his makeup back in the bag.

“They don’t like me because-” Thomas cut himself off. “They don’t like me, and it’s not fair.”

“I know.” Roman couldn’t say anything else, he didn’t have anything else to say really though. Thomas left Roman in the bathroom as the doorbell rang, he took the money Patton left on the table by door, and paid. Thomas returned, setting the pizza on the floor of the bathroom before opening it and smiling up at Roman.

“Dig in.” He said, shoving a piece into his face causing Roman to burst into giggles. God, he loved this kid.  
——  
Logan drove his black Mercedes Benz down the dimly lit road, glancing quickly over at the amazing man in the passenger’s seat telling them about his wonderful life that Logan never wanted to stop learning about. He was listening as Patton told them how he had accidentally got signed up for a play with a nude scene as a high school senior. Jon of course wasn’t listening, Virgil reads to him in the third row. Elle and Damien were listening intently, laughing and giggling at just the right parts. It felt, better, he didn’t know better than what, maybe everything. The noise settled and Logan still felt the warm dance across his chest. Yeah, everything felt better.

They pulled up to the restaurant and he felt something warm on his arm, Patton hadn’t spoken for a while but he was looking at Logan with, something in his eyes. “You okay?”

“Yep.” Logan replied, feeling the sudden urge to lean over a place a kiss to Patton’s cheek.

“Gross.” Came the reply from the two in the third seat. The party stepped out of the car, and Logan walked around Patton, placing his hand on the all of the shorter man’s back. Patton leaned backwards against the touch, and Logan smiled, beginning a conversation with the valet boy outside the restaurant.

Patton knew this place was too rich for him because they had a valet boy. Elle was chatting in his ear about Logan’s high school years and he desperately wanted to pay attention but Logan looked so, good. He was just listening to the boy talk about Logan’s car, information Logan probably already knew. But he had his hands behind his back, clasped together, and his head tilted towards the boy, Logan nodding as the boy talked enthusiastically. He looked confident, more so than a few moments ago in the car, and Patton was so distracted that he didn’t hear the footsteps behind him in the cold night air as Logan began talking about the sales market of the car.

“Poor boy, I’m here to rescue you from my son’s drawlings.” A voice Patton didn’t recognize said. Heads turned to the older woman, who was already at Logan’s side, dragging him into the restaurant.

“Mother. I was talking.” Logan growled, a sound that made Patton shiver, but he held his arms crossed over his chest, playing it off as the breeze.

“Sorry darling, but I’m absolutely starved. Your father has not been home all day.” The woman said, shaking her head back and forth. Virgil and Elle stood in kind of a V at their brother’s sides, like a formation almost.

“Things that busy at the hospital?” Damien asked, leading his son inside with his hand at his shoulders, at the caboose of the group.

“Yes. He’s had so much work with this teenagers and their laundry detergent consuming tendencies. Honestly, ” Logan’s mother rolled her eyes, waving her hand around the air next to her ear. “why can’t they take adderall like the rest of us did at their age?”

Patton snickered, and Logan’s mother turned her attention to him. The three siblings stopping as their mother reached the hostess stand, looking very organized. Patton almost wanted to turn and run under her gaze but Logan stepped out of their V, reaching out and grabbing his hand and pulling him toward him. Patton held back a gasp as he was practically slammed into Logan’s side, he settled for resting his head on the taller man’s shoulder comfortingly.

“Mother.” Logan looked to his mother, but then the group watched as he gaze switched to the short man’s head on his shoulder, Patton’s eyes relaxingly closed. “This is Patton.” 

 


	4. Chapter 4

“Nice to meet you, Patton.” Was all that had been said to him in the past few minutes. Five minutes to be exact. They were now sat at a table, with Logan’s mother on the end of the table with Virgil and Logan on either side of her. Jon was at the other end with Damien next to Patton on one side and Elle next to Virgil on the other. Logan’s hand had on Patton’s waist until they had sat down. 

It wouldn’t haven’t bothered him if everyone was silent, but Logan and Jon were talking about a new video game coming out that they were excited for. Damien was chatting to Logan’s mother about the hospital, and Virgil was ignoring everyone for his phone. Patton looked from the small smile on Logan’s face to the small black sign towards the back of the restaurant, making a decision. 

“Excuse me.” Patton mumbled, standing up and heading in the direction of the bathroom. He brushed past one of the servers as it got more difficult to bring air into his lungs, and he all but threw himself inside the two stalled bathroom. There was a small space inbetween the back wall and the wall of the second stall, just enough for Patton to lean against the stall’s wall and pull out his phone. 

“Pat? Everything okay?” The voice on the other end of the phone said, concern in his voice, which was understandable. It wouldn’t have been the first time Patton had called him in the middle of a job, slightly panicking. 

“Y-” Patton had to clear his throat, he couldn’t find his voice, how long has it been since he’d used it? “Yeah.” 

“You don’t sound okay.” Patton could practically see Roman standing up from the couch, pulling his coat on as he stood near the door, ready to come get him. 

“I am. Really. It’s just no one’s-” Patton closed his eyes as the sound of someone entering the bathroom caused him to turn around, his back blocking anyone who might come find him. “How’s Thomas?”

“Okay, Pat we should really talk-” Roman’s voice was cut off by someone in the bathroom clearing their throat and speaking, the small growl in their voice from their own nerves. 

“Patton, you in here?” Patton was sure whoever it was probably already knew the answer to his question, the only people who knew him had watched him leave the table.

“Roman, I’ll text you in a bit. I’ve got to go, kiss Thomas goodnight for me.” Patton wouldn’t want Thomas up to see him, he could already feel tears pricking at the edge of his eyes, air in the bathroom now burning his lungs. Patton waited for Roman’s hum of agreement before hanging up and placing the phone in his pocket, stepping out to where he saw Virgil standing awkwardly in the middle of the bathroom. 

“I uh-I was going to have a panic attack with how quiet everyone was.” Virgil said, pointing behind him and Patton could see how his hand was shaking as he tried to keep it up in the air. Patton wasn’t foreign to them, Thomas had one every first day of school, so he guided Virgil over to lean against the sinks. He didn’t touch him, while Thomas liked to be held and whispered to, Virgil wasn’t a child so he kept his distance. Plus it was easier to catch him if he fell with full range motion in his body. 

“Do you know the 4-7-8 exercise?” Virgil nodded, probably couldn’t get enough air into his lungs to speak. “Okay, Virgil, breathe with me.”

It didn’t take more than a couple times before Patton could tell Virgil was breathing fine again on his own, his hands had stopped shaking at his sides, and when the door opened Virgil even had a small smile on his face. Jon was at the door staring at the scene in front of him with Logan behind him. Logan nudged Jon in the back, breaking him from his trance. “Go on then.” 

The child ran into one of the stalls and Logan approached the two quietly, a small look of worry in his eyes. Logan held out his arms. “Are you okay?”

“Am now.” Virgil mumbled, throwing himself into Logan’s side, Logan wrapping one arm around him and using his other hand to pat back Virgil’s bangs. Virgil motioned his head towards the shorter man in the room. “Patton helped.”

Logan held his hand out, taking it from Virgil’s bangs, and Patoon grabbed it with his left hand. Logan brought Patton’s hand to his mouth, unintentionally dragging the shorter man toward him as he pressed a kiss to the back of Patton’s hand. Logan mouthed a ‘Thank You’. 

Jon emerged again, all three men stepping to the side wall to let him wash his hands, before Virgil pulled away from Logan, straightening himself out, and looking up at his brother. Logan smiled. “I wanted to come check on you, and Jon had to go.”

Jon dried his hands, moving to door and turning back at the three men. “You coming?”

“So, Patton, was it?” Logan’s mother asked as soon as the four returned back to the table. “How did you and Logan meet?”   

“Well it was a little unorthodox.” Patton started to say, and then he felt a hand on his left thigh, which he followed up to Logan’s face. It wasn’t a face of warning, but rather like Logan would go along with whatever Patton would say. So he went with the truth, or at least closest to the truth. “Well I work at a place where they show, adult performances, and I met Logan through my job.”

“Oh.” Patton almost wondered if she wouldn’t understand, but based on her tone, she did. Logan’s mother looked to the left of her, with an eyebrow raised. “Did you know that Elle’s husband is a physical therapist?” 

“Mother.” Logan glared, but his mother raised a hand to stop him from interrupting her any further. She looked Patton in the eye slowly, before a smirk emerged across her face.

“Guess you could say between the two of you, any stiffness Logan may experience will be covered.” Virgil snorted, Elle nearly spit out her drink, and Logan’s face looked far redder than it had at any point in his closet earlier.

“Mother.” He hissed, throwing his hands over his eyes, causing Patton himself to giggle. 

“You’ll have to forgive her, Patton. She may look mean, but our mother really just has a crude sense of humor.” Elle was coughing, having nearly choked on her drink just a moment ago, and Damien was patting her back as to help.

“What’s so funny?” Jon asked, far too young to get the joke. 

“We’ll tell you when you’re older.” Virgil said, looking better than he had in the bathroom, his bangs were pushed to the side and you could see his eyes light up with the smile that was floating on his face. 

“We will not.” Logan laid his head on his arms ontop of the table. 

“Elbows off the table dear.” His mother said as the waiter came by with their entrees. Logan moved his arms, letting his head hit the cloth covered wooden table with a loud thud. Patton shook his head smittenly, before bending down to his ear, whispering for only him to hear.

“Darling, you’ve got to move your head so we can eat. We’ll talk about your stiffness when we’re alone.” Patton watched Logan bolt up, the lush still ever present, but now those beautiful grey eyes were wide, to match.

The rest of the evening went similarly, Logan’s family making fun of him, Jon being confused, and Patton dropping a few lines to increase his chances at getting to see this wonderful man again. There was no mother to son’s fake boyfriend talk at the end of the night, and Logan dropped his family off at his house for the night, and decided to drive Patton home. Patton tried to insist that he could ride the bus, but Logan had given him one look of please, and he’d conded. The car ride to his house was quiet and way too fast, and soon enough they were at his doorstep. The light to the living room was still on, maybe Roman and Thomas had fallen asleep on the couch again. 

“You know, Patton.” Logan said, breaking the silence the two had settled into. “Tonight was the best, in a long time.” 

“I had a great time as well.” Patton paused, he didn’t know where Logan stood on them, but if this was the last they’d see each other, Patton wanted to get out what he wanted to say. “You’re absolutely wonderful. You pay for prostitute, make out with him, take him out to dinner with your equally as hilarious family, and then even drive him home afterwards. I honestly haven’t met someone like you ever in my life.”

Patton hung his head, waiting for the ‘well,see ya’ but no longer than a moment passed before he felt something lift up his chin. Logan was smiling down at him, and the taller man took a step forward and then paused. “Patton, may I kiss you?”

Patton didn’t even answer, he lifted his hands up to the side of Logan’s face and pulled him down. Their lips met again , and Patton groans, turning them around to push Logan up against his front door. He hears a whispered voice on the other side, and as much as he’d like to just continue where this was going with Logan, he unfortunately remembers Roman. Patton pushes off Logan, takes a minute to watch how attractive he is as the taller man wipes his arm over his flushed lips. Patton groans again, this time mostly out of frustration, but also something else. “Sorry, I just- my son.” 

“Right.” Logan nodded, still looking a little dazed, before pushing himself off the door. He tried to play off the jelly legs with the force he’d been pushed against the door with, and not the sound Patton made. 

“Logan, do you want to exchange phone numbers?” Patton’s gaze fell again to his feet, looking at the cracks of his sidewalk.

“Yes, I’d very much like to do this again.” Logan swallowed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cellphone. After a moment, he handed it over to Patton, letting the man put his number in. “Okay.”

“Okay.” Patton said in agreement, stepping out of the way so that Logan could walk back to his car. Patton watched the man walk away with his back turned to him, before looking down at his phone already seeing a text. It was the little hand wave emoji, and when Patton looked up Logan was waving at him from the driver’s seat. Patton waved in response, and Logan drove away.  

Patton stepped inside, a silly grin on his face as Roman did a side step to step into the shorter man’s view. Roman had his hands on hips, and Patton gave him a shrug of his shoulders. “He’s hot.”

Roman shook his head. “I was watching you two make out like french bulldogs from the window.”

“Creep.” Patton laughed, in far too good of a mood, and far too sleepy for Roman’s teasing. He walked towards his bedroom, shutting the living room light off as he passed the bathroom. 

“If you’re going to jerk off, do it in the bathroom. Thomas is in your room, and I’m stealing his bed.” Roman called after him. Patton slipped out of his suit and into pajamas before climbing underneath his covers. Thomas instinctively rolled over on top of Patton’s bare chest, snuggling up to him in his sleep, and Patton resisted the urge to coo. He took off his glasses and set them on the stand next to him before wrapping an arm around his son and falling asleep, dreaming of beautiful grey eyes and soft pink lips. 


	5. Chapter 5

Patton doesn’t remember falling asleep, he remembers the feeling of his bedsheets against his bare back, those grey eyes staring at him, and he definitely remembers the feeling of soft lips against his. He remembers enough to know that Thomas should be on top of his chest, or at least in the bed next him, and yet before he can think of a million other ridiculous places for his son to be he hears the soft strumming echo through his household.

It’s higher pitched, so it definitely wasn’t the guitar Patton had bought for Thomas last Christmas, even so the boy hadn’t touched it in months. Patton wondered if the skill had just proved too hard for his age, and he would return to it in his later years, or if there had been another reason Thomas had lost interest in the instrument. The low, just perfectly out of tune voice dancing through the air of Patton’s house, had been one that Patton hadn’t heard in years, and he almost considered laying in bed just to see if it would continue a little while longer.

But then it stopped, along with the high tone strumming that Patton now knew was Roman’s ukulele that he had given Thomas to practice with after he had lost interest in the guitar. Patton had frowned upon Roman handing his son the little green thing, because surely since Thomas has given up the guitar so quickly the smaller stringed instrument wasn’t going to be used. Just as well Roman had reminded him, he barely sang anymore, let alone played, so even if it went unused, Thomas would be a better owner to it than Roman would. Patton had didn’t believe him, but let Thomas keep it anyway.

Patton kicked his feet off the bed, figuring his boys had given up for the morning, when the beautiful voice rang in his ears again. Drowsiness faded quickly from his eyes, and even as his glasses stay on the nightstand, and Patton stay in his room, he could see clearly what was happening a couple doors down. Roman’s voice, currently singing, was falling over the muted chords of Thomas’s playing. Thomas had yet to learn to press his fingers down against the strings hard enough, and yet, Patton could almost hear what the notes were supposed to be. It was a moment that Patton wished he could capture in a polaroid, wished he could steal away and indulge himself in on bad days that would surely come in the future. But for now, it was a wonderful way to wake up.

Soon enough, the closer he got to the doorway of his son’s bedroom, the longer it was in between bouts of noise. It wasn’t until Patton was practically standing over top of the two on Thomas’s bed, though he was sure Roman had at least noticed him prior, that Thomas looked away from his fingers and up at his father. Thomas gave an embarrassed smile, maybe at thinking he woke his father or maybe at his father catching him playing, but Patton just clapped in response. The shy smile quickly turned into a proud beam across the boy’s face, and Thomas frantically played what Roman had been teaching him.

Thomas messed up a little bit, wincing at the springy noise the strings made when he held down the wrong fret, but Patton smiled nonetheless. Roman reminded him to go slower, let his fingers control the beat, and sure enough after a directed deep breath, Thomas played more notes correct the second time around. Patton ruffled his hair affectionately, and he would have been more than happy to let the boys continue their lesson, but at the sound of Roman’s stomach growling the two decided to call it.

Thomas winced as he took his fingers off the green ukulele, showing the indents of the strings into his tiny finger pads and Patton brought each fingertip up to press a kiss to it. Roman encouraged him to run his hands under cold water before breakfast to help with the sting, and Thomas rushed off to the bathroom. Patton got a good look at Roman for the first time that morning.

His strawberry blonde hair was messy enough that it was sticking up almost everywhere, there was almost no single hair going in the direction that it was meant to. He had dark circles under his eyes, not to mention the bruises, and the cut along his jaw was just starting to heal. Other than that, he looked absolutely radiant against the red walls and yellow lamp lighting of Thomas’s bedroom. The white t shirt starked against his tan, and his red shorts ended just above the curve of his thighs as he sat criss cross applesauce on the bed.

Patton could tell Roman was waiting for the conversation to turn sour, Roman figured Patton had a few words to say about his marks and Patton was just starting to remember that Roman had wanted to talk about something on the phone last night. But, oh, last night.

Patton felt like there were fireflies underneath his skin, everywhere, lighting up small bouts of energy, and he just wanted to dance and squeal like a teenager girl. Roman chuckled, breaking the quiet the two had settled into, as he watched the excitedness in Patton attempt to settle back into the warm daze the older man had been in mere seconds ago. Patton fell to the side, lazily, and let his head rest against one of Roman’s thighs, he wasn’t really sure which. Roman closed his eyes as he ran a hand through the other man’s hair affectionately, and Patton closed his eyes too, as began retelling the previous night’s events.

——————

  
“Good morning.” Virgil mumbled to no one in particular, he expected the morning routine to be in full swing but when he arrived at the kitchen no one was there. That was odd, it was already past noon. He climbed back up stairs to the third floor of his brother’s house, dragging his feet against the marble floor, until he reached the end of the hallway where Logan’s bathroom was. Elle was leaned up against the side of the door, while Damien and Jon sat up against the wall of the hallway while his mother was pacing the small width of the hallway.

“And we’re all listening to Logan shower, why?” Virgil asked, carefully approaching his family.

“He’s not showering, he is texting Patton.” Jon said, clearly done with all of the adults in this household evident by the eyeroll he gives his father as the man runs his left hand through the boy’s hair.

“Or at least trying to.” Damien adds, running that same hand over the back of his neck.

“He’s asked us each our opinion and then proceeded to kick us out, so now we’re waiting to see what he does.” Elle says, pointing at the door as she took her ear off of it. Virgil shook his head, walking over to the door and knocking twice in a row, waiting a second before considering knocking again when Logan’s voice interrupts him.

“Who is it?” Logan calls from the other side of the door.  
“Twin.” Virgil says, and the door opens quickly, a hand pulls Virgil inside, and the door shuts again. On the other side, Elle and his mother have now pressed their ears back to the door, so Virgil leans his back against the closed door, muffling the sound just to be a dick.

Virgil turned his attention back to his brother, looking him up and down to acess how much of a mess Logan was this morning. He had seen him frustrated, frantic, and absolutely fucked, but this man looked none of those. He looked disgustingly dazed, like his eyes were sparkling or some young adult bullshit like that. Logan had his blue boxers on, the one with the white outlines of Albert Einstein’s hair all over them, and no shirt on. His hair looked like he had been pulling on it repeatedly, and his phone was in his left hand haphazardly, something Logan never would allow.

“Lo.” Virgil placed his hands on his brother’s shoulders, momentarily stopping his brother’s mental breakdown, before Logan met his eyes and started pacing the bathroom. “Are you okay?”

“He expects me to text first, right?” Logan said, waving his phone around. “I mean, it’s been almost 13 hours since we saw each other, so I should probably say something. But he asked for my number so maybe he wants-”

“Lo, oh my god, stop!” Virgil said, catching Logan’s right hand in his own, sliding his fingers up until he wrapped his pointer and middle finger around Logan’s wrist. Logan nodded, letting Virgil keep hold on his wrist but resisting when Virgil reached for the phone, tugging it away from him. Virgil gave his brother the eyebrow, the one that meant Logan wasn’t in a place to argue, and Logan handed the phone over. Virgil typed out three letters ‘hey’, showed it to Logan and waited for the head nod before sending it.

“There.” Virgil dragged him out of the bathroom and all but throwing him down the steps towards the kitchen. “Now, go make breakfast, I’m hungry.”

The rest of their family followed, knowing quite well that in was in everyone’s best interests to keep Virgil fed. A fed Virgil was a happy Virgil, as the saying goes. Logan was halfway through breakfast when his phone made a ding, but Virgil swiped it up from it’s spot on the counter next to his brother. “Not until I get my food, bro.”

Logan whined, like actually. His mother looked up at her oldest son, staring down the blush that quickly came over his cheeks, before Logan turned away from them complete, facing the stovetop again as bacon sizzled before him. Elle let out one of those breathy short laughs, her head sticking out as she held her gut in, but reached for the phone anyway. “Come on Virge-”

Virgil hissed at her, placing the phone on the other side of his arm, knowing well enough that his sister would be too lazy to fight for it. Elle scoffed, like Virgil predicted she didn’t reach for the phone though, she settled on smacking him upside the head swiftly and throwing herself off her chair to run behind her husband.

“Why are you three acting like children?” Their mother shook her head, walking over to turn off the stovetop because as soon as Virgil had ran to chase after Elle, Logan had snatched his phone back and was frantically typing in his passcode.

“Well, what did he say?” Damien asked, trying to shield his wife from her brother’s lunges of attack. The commotion in the room settled as Logan’s eyes scanned the tiny screen, the only sound being Jon’s cartoons.

_Good morning Logan! I had a wonderful time last night. Thanks again. : ) How did you sleep? - Pat_

“Oh, it was just an email from the school.” Logan said, trying to pull his best disappointed face. Even though both of his siblings knew it was a big old lie, their mother called for breakfast, and if there was thing that shut every Foley up, it was food


	6. Chapter 6

“Patton, talk a day  _ off. _ ” Roman whined, causing Thomas to look up from his DS long enough to make a quizzical sound at him, before returning to his game. The three were standing at a tree that was in between the two bus stops, one for the school and one for the city bus. Roman had his head on Patton’s shoulder, the smaller man standing slightly in front of him as he leaned over to watch what Thomas was playing. 

“I want to go in. I need the extra money darling.” Patton replied, watching as Thomas’s head moved ever so slightly and the boy caught sight of the school bus approaching from the other end of the street in his peripheral. Thomas groaned, saving his game, before gently closing the DS shut, and placing it in the front pocket of his backpack. He reached behind him, pulling his hoodie up over his head before turning to Patton and smiling.

“Bye Dad.” He said, breaking out into a run even though the bus was still quite far up the street still. Patton called back, and watched as the bus approached and Thomas pulled the hood over his head lower on his face, covering his eyes. As it pulled away, Patton waved, and Roman lifted his head off Patton’s shoulders to wave as well. Then, sliding his hand down to grab at the older man’s hand, Roman pulled him to sit down at the city bus stop’s bench before resting his head back on Patton’s shoulders. 

“He’s hiding something.” Roman whispers, and Patton doesn’t know if Roman can feel his body tense up or if he just starts to rub circles on Patton’s hand just cause. Patton’s mind is clouded with thoughts, knowing that Roman probably knew a little bit more than he was letting on but also knowing how rough the younger man’s own life was. 

By the time the bus came Patton was experiencing an emotionally distraught sleepiness, and when they sat down Roman shifted the father’s head onto his shoulder. Patton wouldn’t let his guard down, Roman knew that too well, but he just might take a minute to rest. Roman was fine looking at him over Patton’s hair, smiling down at his platonic soulmate, he was sure there was no other best friend in the world for Roman as Patton. Even if there was, Roman wouldn’t want them. 

When the arrived at the shitty little doorway in the back of an alley, the two were ushered inside to a frantic whorehouse as Roman would say, not allowed of course, the term made Patton uncomfortable. Patton, despite not being assigned to work today, got a job upstairs, one of his usuals, Roman guessed. Meanwhile they assigned Roman to a seemingly picky costumer in one of the downstairs rooms, at the end of the hall. 

He had changed into his golden sequined boxers, their signature, and looked himself up and down in one of the full length mirrors of the changing rooms. He ruffled his hair before pulling on a red shirt and the tightest blue jeans he owned. He walked into the room, closing the door behind him before plastering on his best fake smile. 

“Hey big boy.” He hated the cringy script they had to follow sometimes, but what could he do? Don’t turn around until he tells you, don’t take off your clothes until he tells, don’t- 

“Actually, I’m only slightly above average height for a male of age, and I’m underweight so I’d say I’m more like a medium boy.” Roman moved to turn around and then whipped his head back towards the door, needing a minute, for some reason. Normally he’d crawl over, let his natural side take over, but then he got to thinking about  _ his  _ rules. 

“What are you thinking about, sir?” Roman’s voice was quieter than he would normally talk, he didn’t like. Smart guys liked to be called sir, shy guys typically didn’t like to be called anything, very manly and rough guys sometimes liked daddy. This guy sounded smart, or at least he hoped, they were the easiest to please funny enough, because they didn’t get a lot in the sex department. 

“My brother.” The comment caught him off guard, almost like it pulled Roman’s head towards the man on the bed. Now that he was looking at his client all he could think about was how put together he looks. The man was sat upright with his hands in his lap, a tie at his neck, and he was looking around the room with a curiosity that Roman attributed to a scientist and new chemicals. 

He looked familiar, Roman couldn't pinpoint how, it could be that he was a client. But then again Roman would remember someone so, stoic. It was quite possible the man just got some other guy that worked here, but whoever he was he looked incredibly uncomfortable. He fidgeted, reaching his hand back to scratch the back of his neck, before placing it back into his lap and when Roman took a step closer, he scooted backwards on the bed. 

“You’re with a prostitute and you’re thinking about your brother?” Roman asked, dumbfounded, and yet the man nodded.

“You seem like someone he would be attracted to you.” The man nodded, pushing his glasses that had fallen down a bit on his nose. Roman looked over his face, he certainly was attractive, definitely not his type, and he had the most interesting eye color, grey with almost a hint of baby blue. Huh. “Listen, um-”

“Ro.” Don’t give out your full name to anyone. 

“Ro. You seem very kind, and are very attractive, but I’m afraid I’m not here to have sexual relations with you.” The man’s voice was calm and calculated, almost like he’d thought of every word he was going to say, five minutes ago. 

“Oh?” Roman sat down in front of him on the bed.

“I’m looking for Patton. My name is-” Whatever his name was interrupted by a shout from down the hall. Then a knock on the door, and when Roman let them in it, it was their desk lady looking quite disheveled. 

“Mr. Foley I’m sorry to cut your-” Roman jumped off the bed, falling over onto the ground, before popping his head back up to look at the man on the bed.

“Foley? As in Logan?” Roman turned to him and the man-Logan, Patton’s Logan-nodded. 

“Ro, Pat needs you.” The desk lady, who in his moments of panic Roman unfortunately couldn’t remember the name of. He looked down to the floor, considering for a moment, before nodding his head and making his decision. 

“Bring him in here.” Roman said.

“Ro-” Roman shook his head, pointing over to Logan.

“He’s a friend, he’ll help.” Roman insisted.

“Ro, he won’t move.” The desk lady hissed, and Roman took one moment to look over at Logan before grabbing the man’s hand and pulling him towards the stairs, dragging him up them, and towards the room where one of the other workers, Gage, was standing outside pacing.

“How bad?” Roman asked, practically manhandling Logan inside the room before him before Gage had even answered. 

“He safe worded.” Gage said, locking the door behind them as Roman swallowed nervously, nervous as to what state they would find Patton in, what the client had done to him, whether or not he should’ve brought Logan in with him. 

 


	7. Chapter 7

The two turned entered a red room, that had black shelves lining the walls, some of the pieces missing from their assigned places. Logan’s gaze fell to the bed, where Patton had his knees curled up to his chest, and there were handcuffs attached to the headboard, something else loose on the bed, but all Logan could see was Patton and how  _ broken  _ he looked. 

Beautiful, wonderful, smart, funny, Patton who looked absolutely terrified, curled in on himself like a child afraid of the dark. Logan didn’t like this look on him at all, he much preferred the happy and adorable, yet incredibly appealing man he’d met just last night. Logan didn’t have much time to think on it, because Patton’s voice, softer than it had been when they were in his closet, more high pitched than when they had kissed, broke the silence that had fell over the room.

“R-Ro-Roman.” Patton stuttered out, and Logan felt a horrible, strong squeeze in his chest. Ro, or Roman, was across the room quicker than Logan could remember how long he hadn’t been standing next to him. 

Roman. Patton’s best friend. Patton was broken, and his best friend was here. His best friend who would help him, because Logan was practically useless, he was still standing at the doorway while Roman whispered in Patton’s ear. Patton wouldn’t need Logan here, Patton wouldn’t want-

“L-Lo-Logan.” Oh god, it was so much worse when it was his name. It made Logan want to cry, it made Logan want to ball up his fists and beat the ever living crap out of whoever made Patton’s voice sound this choked up. 

“Do you need anything, Patton?” Logan said quietly, he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries. He wanted to ask to hug him, he wanted to ask to hold him and never let him go. But he couldn’t. After all, Patton had Roman here, Patton wouldn’t need-

“I-um.” Patton looked up the tiniest bit at Roman and Roman nodded, a secret language of some kind and Logan felt the anger slip back in. Logan wasn’t mad at Roman, though. He, Virgil and Elle had something similar, and when Patton talks about Roman it’s like his talking about his talented younger brother so it wasn’t like he was jealous. He was mad that someone had reduced  his  Patton to someone so scared and unsure. “You?”

It was phrased like a question, but then Patton held one of his arms out, one of the only movements he had done in the past few minutes. He wanted to sprint towards it, but he approached it slowly not to scare Patton, and he tried not to make a noise when Patton’s hand and his met. Patton tugged on his hand and Logan felt himself fall onto the bed, ungracefully, before trying to quickly wrap his arms around Patton’s shoulders.

The door knocked again, and Roman got up, patting Logan’s back. “You got him, Logan?”

“Yes.” Logan wrapped his arms the tiniest bit tighter, but released it quickly as not to hurt Patton.

He was trying to think of comforting words or even think anything besides, _Patton_ _needs me._ He closed his eyes, started breathing slowly to calm himself down as he rubbed the round of Patton’s shoulder. Patton listened to his breathing, soon falling into a rhythm with him and Logan’s mind cleared little by little. Patton was sad, he was warm from body heat but he was also cold from tears that were now all over Logan’s own shirt, not that he minded. And Patton needed him. 

Logan looked down at Patton, trying to find any physical bruises that he might need aid attending to. There were thin lines of scratches around Patton’s wrists, which Logan wished he couldn’t say he expected it with the handcuffs attached to the headboard. But just past his hairline by his ear, Logan could barely see, was a mark thin and barely scraping blood, and Logan’s fingers went to it, tracing the curve of line wondering. 

”Gag.” Patton answered his unspoken question, his voice sounding more like his own. Logan nodded, but Patton couldn’t really see that so he made a hum of acknowledgement a split second later. Patton had his face pressed against Logan’s right shoulder, but he was still turned outward so that his back was pressing up against Logan’s front. Logan wasn’t thinking about that feeling at all, that would be inappropriate. 

Patton made another sound, and Logan placed his hands on the other’s shoulders to get Patton to face him. Patton had his lip in between his teeth, tear tracks on his cheeks and his eyes were looking up at Logan with a feeling he couldn’t discern. There was a question being asked that Logan didn’t know, and yet he felt like he knew the answer. He scooted backwards on the bed, letting his back hit the headboard, and pulling Patton softly until his body started to fall forward. Patton’s head landed in the middle of his chest, and his left arm wrapped around Logan’s hipline, but his right hand? His right hand was tucked under him, brushing against the front of Logan’s jeans. Logan definitely wasn’t thinking about that feeling, because that would be entirely inappropriate as well. 

Patton could’ve said anything, or nothing at all, but as he took a breath that sounded way less hurt and tense than before, Logan could feel the outline of the smallest of smiles against his shirt. “Some second date, huh?” 

Logan thought about telling him he didn’t need to cover up what he was feeling with a joke, but that might be too much for Patton right now. 

“While I don’t appreciate the circumstances that got us here,” Logan took a breath, trying to keep his own temper at bay. “I am enjoying this moment with you, Patton.”

Logan felt something wet in the middle of his shirt. “I’m sorry.” 

Patton was crying, oh god. Logan reached down, pulled the man up his body, so that he was centered around Logan’s neck rather than his chest, and he reached over to hold the side of Patton’s face. “I should be the sorry one, Patton, and I am. I’m not thinking clearly, I can’t say what I mean when I have this, anger, controlling my thoughts.” 

“Anger?” Patton’s face was genuinely confused, and a little scared, when he lifted his head up to look at Logan. Logan slowly placed his other hand on the other side of Patton’s face, cupping his head gently. 

“I’m angry at whoever did this to you, I’m angry at not being able to help you, I’m angry at being angry.” Logan lifted his arms not wanting to hold Patton with the unwarranted tension. He waited for Patton to shy away from him, but if anything he could feel him getting closer and closer-

Patton was kissing him. It was light and slow, and Logan felt relieved he hadn’t upset the man further. Logan was over the moon with a light peck, but as Patton sat up just a little more to gain leverage, Patton put more pressure into the kiss, slowly turning up the heat. Logan didn’t do much, not that he wasn’t enjoying it or didn’t want to do anything, he just seemed to like it more when Patton was the one in charge. Letting Patton’s tongue slip into his mouth, he made the tiniest of whines, ignoring the salty taste of tears on Patton’s lips. 

Patton was moving on top of him, he couldn’t tell where because Patton’s teeth bit down on his lip and Logan moaned as he closed his eyes. But then Patton’s movements got slower and he pulled away to press their foreheads together, Logan taking the time to look at Patton  _ straddling _ him. Oh boy. 

The tear tracks couldn’t be seen over the blush on Patton’s face, but he did yawn, and then came down, forcing Logan’s legs apart as Patton’s lower half laid in between them. His face landed in the crook of Logan’s neck, and while Logan was still reeling, Patton made the tiniest noise of sleepiness. 

“That was,” Logan forced a breath in. “Fast.” 

Patton hummed in agreement and pressed his face the tiniest bit harder into Logan’s neck, making Logan wonder if maybe Patton could feel his-“Stay?”

Patton lifted his head, looking at him in a mixed state of hopeful drowsiness. His eyes were pleading, but slowly closing, and his lip was puckered but his eyebrows hung low near his eyes, as if he was too lazy to keep them up. Logan smiled slowly, watching as Patton reflected one, laying his head back down on the previous spot. “Of course.” 

As Patton fell asleep Logan tried to focus on anything other than the stiffness in his jeans and the way Patton was breathing against his neck. His concentration fell to the voice from the door outside, recognizing, it was Roman. 

“No, babe, I’m at work. Pat’s had a rough day so he needs me here. He’s my best-no. No, I wouldn’t rather date, I love- okay. Yes, I’ll get home soon. I’m sorry I made you upset. I love you too.” 

The door opened and Roman came back into the room, his eyes were glistening, Logan could’ve played it off as shock but he knew it was tears. Roman walked over to the bed, smiling as his eyes scanned over them, but before he could saying anything Patton shifted, his hand pushing against Logan’s jeans and he used him to keep himself up as he tossed, and Logan hissed, throwing his head lightly and quietly as he could against the headboard. 

“Enjoying yourself, specs?” Roman asked, reaching over to take Logan’s glasses off of him, and set them down on the stand next to Patton’s. 

“I-” Roman really didn’t want to know. 

“I’ve got to run, once he wakes up, call me. I don’t know if I’ll be available to answer, but I’d appreciate the voicemail. Also, try to get him home soon, he needs the rest and somebody’s got to let Thomas in.” 

“Roman.” Logan said, nodding along with the instructions but not being able to take his gaze off the tears at the taller man’s eyes. “Are you okay? You’ve been crying.” 

“Just take care of Patton, teach. I’ll be fine.” Roman said, patting Logan’s head before leaving the room. He got dressed silently, didn’t even bother to speak in his head, and as he waited for the bus he felt a cold shiver run through him. Here we go again. 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning : lots of hugs, lots of tears and roman isn't even in this chapter. thomas has bad feelings, patton + logan are already in love, where is virgil???? (don't worry loves, prinxiety is on its way, it just got lost in traffic), also i can't wait for dodie, joan, and talyn, omg I'm so excited! 
> 
> also just a big thanks to everyone, i read all of your comments, and i love you all so much. hope you enjoy the chapter <3

Thomas tried not to lift his head from his chest, staring down at his 3DS as he defeated another trainer with a bored sigh. The newer games didn’t feel as challenging as the older ones that his Dad had given him, but he didn’t like to bring them to school because they were fragile. He was trying to hide his boredom, it was itching underneath his hoodie, and when he feels a pressure sinking into the seat next to him, the boredom quickly turned to fear. 

“Sanders.” The voice was deeper than his own, and he considers bashing his own head on the window next to him. 

He didn’t speak, he turned to look at who sat down, even though he already knew. Dean Ralph, the school’s certified popular kid, with a wicked smirk across his face. Dean reached over, closing the top of Thomas’s 3DS. “Put it away or we break it too.” 

Thomas reached behind him and placed the system in his backpack, catching a glimpse of the Fredonia St bus stop outside the window. They waited for the last sixth grader to get off the bus at the Fredonia St stop before Dean and his buddies started. The girl there was nice and once and a while would tell them off. Thomas was grateful for those days. 

When the bus finally reached Thomas’s stop, nobody had noticed what had happened. That’s because Thomas and Dean had almost an unspoken rule, if Thomas made no noise, then it would be short and sweet. If Thomas even whimpered, it wouldn’t end until the bus had pulled up to his stop. 

“See ya tomorrow.” Dean laughed, light and empty of the maliciousness he had just beaten Thomas’s face to a pulp with. 

Thomas grumbled as his lip ached, and when he reached his door, ready to run to his room, he surprisingly found resistance. The door was locked?

When Patton opened his eyes he didn’t notice that he was in his bedroom, he didn’t notice that his shoes had been taken off and neatly placed up against the end of the bed, he didn’t notice that he was only in a long sweater that wasn’t his and his work boxers. He noticed Logan, turned away from him, looking out the window of Patton’s bedroom, even though the blinds were closed. Patton noticed the sunshine hitting Logan’s front that he couldn’t see, and surrounding his back with little flakes of yellow against the light blue button up he had on. 

“Good morning.” Patton grumbled holding his hand out near the taller man. When he didn’t reply, Patton shifted on his bed and the movement must of caught Logan’s attention because then those striking grey eyes were on Patton and oh, that did things to him. 

“Patton, how are you?” Logan asked, moving closer to him as Patton sat up, his back against the headboard. 

Patton moved his hand, letting it brush against Logan’s jeans right by the other man’s knee, and bring it to his own face. Patton rubbed his eye with knuckle on his index finger, making the smallest of sleepy whines that definitely did not make Logan shift his footing. Patton moved his feet to hang over the side of the bed as the events of earlier came flooding back to him. 

Patton’s screaming, Gage running in and pulling the man away in handcuffs. He tried to shake the thoughts away and remember Logan and Roman rushing in, Logan carrying him in his arms and placing him in his car softly, even the faint feeling of Logan covering Patton in his much larger (because he was taller) grey sweater. 

He felt his energy slipping from him already, and tears pricking at the side of his face as he tried to stand up and get away from Logan. The man didn’t deserve to see him like this, didn’t have to take care of him, and he certainly didn’t need to catch Patton in his arms as he failed to gain his balance. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Logan whispered, voice flooded with some kind of emotion that the man himself couldn’t comprehend. He, well, felt something for Patton in the past couple of hours. Holding the man while he cried, putting him to bed, and then watching over him while he slept, it made him, protective. 

Patton should move, his whole weight was resting on Logan’s arms and they were only a foot away from his bed. But he didn’t want to. Patton rested his head in the place between Logan’s neck and his shoulder, and grumbled something, feeling the taller man under him shiver. Patton moved, turning his head so his lips were facing Logan’s neck as Logan lifted him up so he was holding Patton up by his arms around his waist. Patton grumbled again. “Tired.” 

“Well this is just too precious to process.” Logan said, tightening his arms around Patton’s waist to pull him a little bit closer. Logan told himself it was to make sure Patton didn’t fall, but that was a lie. 

“M’sorry.” Patton sniffled, at the same time Logan felt something cold against his neck. Patton was crying. Again. Oh god, Logan had hurt him or he didn’t like being called-“M’sorry I’m cried on you.” 

“Patton, don’t be sorry.” Logan turned his head to press a kiss to the other man’s hair. He tried to ignore the way it smelled like vanilla cookies. Patton’s arms came around his waist, finally awake enough to be able to hold himself up, and Logan leaned forward a little to push Patton’s weight on his feet. Patton must of mistook the motion for Logan pushing him away, so when Logan felt him move his head off his shoulder, he pulled the man flush against him once more. “Don’t leave just yet.” 

Logan felt Patton smile against the upper part of his neck now, and softly, the older man pressed the lightest of kisses there. Logan shouldn’t have gotten worked up over it, but suddenly he felt his jeans get tighter and a small noise escape his lips. Patton’s smile closed against his neck and Logan almost considered that it was a mistake until Patton did it again. But at the same time he let out another one of those whines, Patton let out a frustrated noise, letting go of Logan to point behind him. 

“School bus.” Patton’s frustrated groan turned to a whine towards the end of his statement, but as he walked away, Logan grabbed his arm. 

“I got it.” Logan said, pulling Patton close to press a kiss to his lips, but a knock at the door pulled them apart before it could get exciting. Patton dramatically fell backwards against the bed as he listened to the rushed sound of Logan’s socks against his hardwood floor. 

Thomas listened as the door unlocked, Dad probably just forgot, he tried not to ignore the ache in his chest that thought gave. His Dad never forgot anything, Thomas reminded himself, once and a while it was okay. As the door opened and he pulled his hood over the top of his face, Thomas tried hard not to think how bad of a son he was. Kids wanting to beat him up at school, expecting his dad to do everything for him, lying to his dad, trying pushing past his dad as he kept his gaze on the man’s white socks. 

White socks? His dad never wore white socks. They were always silly, or fun as his dad would say, and most of the time mismatched. He also never wore jeans. Thomas tried to move around the man again, still keeping his gaze on the floor, but the man moved with him causing Thomas to run into a chest that was hard and most definitely not his dad’s soft and welcoming chest where Thomas could hear his heartbeat when he had a nightmare. 

“Thomas, are you okay?” That was not his dad’s voice, his mind screamed, and he moved backwards, his shoulder blades hitting the edge of the door that was still open. 

“Dad!” Thomas screamed as hard as he could, ignoring the pain in his back as he reached backwards to push the door closed and fell over onto the ground.

“Thomas?” His dad shouted back and he heard movement, but Thomas still didn’t look up. This man had broken into their home, had his dad tied up or something, was gonna kill them or take their money or-

Soft. Warm. Dad. “Thomas, kiddo, I’m right here. You’re okay.” 

Thomas pushed his head forward just to make sure. Soft, warm, heartbeat. Dad. Thomas wrapped his arms around his dad’s waist, turning his head so maybe he wouldn’t see his face, but Thomas could still hear his heartbeat. It calmed him, and soon, Thomas was able to pull away. He could go to his room and everything would be fine. 

“Patton.” The other voice was serious, quiet, but now it wasn’t cold or scary. “Look at his face.”

No, no, no, no, no, no-

“Oh my god.” Patton said as he lifted Thomas’s face into his view. Thomas’s light brown eyes were filled with tears, some of them had dripped down his face just past his black under-eyes, and they mixed with blood at his lip and his cheek. “Logan did-”

“No.” Thomas’s own voice was rougher than he had ever heard it. Thomas didn’t know who this Logan was and why he was in Thomas’s house but he certainly didn’t want the man to take the blame for Thomas. “Wasn’t him.”

“Thomas.” No kiddo, no buddy, no pallarino. “Who did this to you?”

“Dean. At school.” Thomas’s fragmented sentences and his father’s serious tone were increasing the tension in the room and the stran-Logan stepped forward. 

“Thomas. I’m Logan, a friend of your father’s. Nice to meet you.” Both Thomas and Patton were confused by the broken moment. His father looked a little miffed, Thomas felt a little relieved, and as Thomas took Logan’s outstretched hand the man helped him up off the floor.

“You should get cleaned up.” Patton said, still a little confused, but now was more drained than earlier and Logan could tell. Thomas nodded, running towards the bathroom, not even looking back at them as the door slammed shut.

Meanwhile, Patton looked up at Logan. Logan was expecting him to be mad at intervening, maybe kick him out-

Something hard hit his chest, arms wrapped around his waist, and something wet started to puddle at the second button of his shirt. “Thank you.”

As Logan listened to the sound of the sink turn on in the other room and felt Patton’s light shaking against his chest, he felt another overwhelming feeling take over every inch of his body. To help. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foley family heavy. The music shop is going to be very important in later chapters, Marisol is just a side character for now, but Virgil is such a good uncle imma cry. What will happen when Jon, Virgil, Thomas, Patton and Logan are all together tomorrow? Where is Roman? OOoh just wait.

“Oh my gosh, is he okay? Bleeding? Yeah I’ll swing by tomorrow with some clothes, you want to-it’s just Elle and Damien leave tonight for that big-but his son probably-ok.” Virgil rolled his eyes, falling backwards dramatically on his bed as he stood half dressed, only in his pants, shoes, and socks. He was slowly becoming one with the sheets of his bed, and if it weren’t for Jon’s knock at his door then he probably wouldn’t have gotten up.

“Virge.” Jon mumbled. The child’s ukulele, a nice bright yellow, was strapped to his back and he was clutching the Sheriff Woody stuffie he had to his chest. Jon’s blonde hair was kinda messy and his eyes looked puffy, so Virgil held out his arms and sat down on the bed, smiling sadly when Jon thumped against his chest.

“You okay, buddy?” Virgil asked, although he already knew the answer. He made Jon lean back a moment, taking the ukulele off him and placing down next to them on the bed, he didn’t dare touch the stuffie in his hands, though. Woody was his best friend. 

“Lonely.” Jon mumbled, pushing his head up towards Virgil’s neck. Virgil felt his heart tighten as he heard his nephew let out the tiniest and softest of whimpers. Jon had probably had another rough day at school, especially since Logan left the middle of the day to visit Patton at work, so Jon probably had no one to eat lunch with and also had to take the bus home. 

It wasn’t that people from Jon’s school were mean or anything, but Jon didn’t enjoy running around like the other kids and his sarcastic attitude tended to ward off any potential friends. He was a lot similar to Logan and Virgil in that way, but one of the advantages of having a twin brother was you always had someone to play with. Jon didn’t. 

“You’ll make some friends soon. I promise.” Virgil wrapped his arms around Jon’s tiny torso, wanting to keep the child just a little bit closer as Jon sobbed a little bit harder. The door clicked open, and a familiar voice called through Logan’s empty house. Virgil felt Jon pull away first, and then vigorously wiped the tears away from his eyes before barreling out the door of Virgil’s bedroom towards the voice.

“Mommy!” Jon practically screamed, throwing himself at Elle’s legs as she came in the door. Their mother right behind her, and as Elle knelt down to place a hand comfortingly on Jon’s back, she gave Virgil a look.

“Honey do you want Mommy and Daddy to stay-” Elle was cut off as Jon pushed off her and stumbled backwards into Virgil’s knees. The boy was shaking his head back and forth, even through the tears that he hadn’t been able to keep in any longer.

“No!” He screamed, shaking his head harder and faster, Virgil reached down to place his hands on the boy’s shoulders comfortingly. “You gotta go. I’ll be fine. I’ve got Virge. Go.”

“Are you sure, sweetheart?” Elle asked and Jon nodded, mumbling a please as he turned and wrapped his arms around Virgil’s legs. Well, Grandma’s going to be here, too. We’re picking up Grandpa on the way back.” 

“You guys are only gone for a week right?” Jon asked, still not turning to face his mother, but the tears had stopped at the mention of Grandpa Foley. Grandpa Foley was the best. 

“Not even. 5 days.” Elle promised and Virgil nodded along, hoping to ease Jon’s discomfort. The boy smiled, he could feel it against his pant leg, and returned hugging his mother. “Why don’t we start dinner Jon? Daddy should be home soon.”

Elle took Jon towards the kitchen, and Virgil stood by his mother, as she looked like she had something she wanted to say. “Where’s Logan?”

“Patton, the guy, his son got beat up at school. Apparently it happens pretty frequently and Patton didn’t know about it.” Virgil mumbled, only feeling slightly guilty about spreading someone else’s news, it was his mother though. Virgil knew Patton’s private life would be safe with her. 

“Oh my god.” Her head came up to cover her mouth, and Virgil reached over to pat her shoulder but she pulled him into a hug. She squeezed him tight for just a moment before letting him go and pulling away like it never happened. 

“Mom?” Virgil asked, but she waved her hand dismissively at him. 

“Are you working the shop tonight?” His mother asked. 

“I can call in if Jon wants-” Virgil was cut off by another string of no’s as the little boy ran into the kitchen waving his hands in front of Virgil’s face. Jon stopped just short of Virgil’s legs, suddenly looking nervous as he held his arms behind his back and swayed on his feet. 

“Can I-well actually” Jon paused looking up at Virgil with the kind of hopeful eyes only a child could have. “Go with you?”

“First one there gets shotgun.” Virgil called, bursting out the door. He turned backwards, just before reaching the car, only to see his mother moments before she pushed Virgil to the ground carrying a laughing Jon in her arms. She placed Jon in the backseat, before stealing shotgun for herself. 

“Virge!” Elle called from the doorway, waving something in her hand. “How about a shirt?”

Virgil looked downward, realized he was still shirtless, and ran back to the doorway to grab the shirt from her, slipping it over his chest. He kissed her cheek, promised to be back in a little over an hour, and settled into the front seat of the car, driving. 

As Virgil swung on the door of the music shop, it took no more than no seconds for Jon to run towards the piano in the back of the shop. “Pluck This” was started out as a guitar shop, and when Virgil had finally earned enough money to buy it from the old guy that had it before, he slowly started to add things. While the guitars still hung all over the store, there were band and orchestra instruments that he mostly sold to students of Jon’s arts school towards the left front of the store, records to the right, and in the back was a full on band set for kids and adults to come in and practice, along with a white grand piano. 

Jon sat himself at the piano, and Virgil grabbed his mother’s attention, it’d be awhile so they’d both been able to see this. They watched as Jon flexed his hands, like he’d seen other musicians do, before he set his hands on the piano keys, letting them rest for just a second before music started to flow out of the instrument as he played. Virgil loved watching Jon play, the little musician had been one of the reasons Virgil had bought the shop in the first place. 

“Well if it isn’t my favorite pianist!” A young female voice said, calling attention to the other person in the shop. A black snapback came into view, and the group turned to look at Marisol, the teen Virgil had hired when the old owner fired all of his employees. Marisol was in her first year of college, and Virgil would be lying if she didn’t remind him of himself when they first met. He wondered why that was.

“Marisol!” Jon stopped playing, turning around to smile and hug her. 

“Don’t stop on my account.” She said, as she dabbed. Ah, that was why. 

“How was business today?” Virgil asked, reaching for her hat but not making to grab it when Marisol’s reflexes failed her. A second later, she swatted away his hand, but he could see the amusement in her light brown eyes. 

“Slow. But the prettiest girl came in, Virge-” Marisol draped herself over his shoulder dramatically, wrapping her arms around his waist as Virgil laughed at her. “Don’t laugh-hey! She could very well the be the one.”

“You said that about the boy that came in yesterday.” Virgil tried to move around her but she kept him locked in place by her arms.

“He was pretty too. He was soft, and adorable and I think I love him.” She stated as if it was the most serious thing she said in her life. Virgil continued laughing, and she pulled away, plopping herself down on the piano bench. “Move on Jon, your uncle’s being mean.”

Marisol started to play a tune, her voice radiating through the quiet shop as Virgil and his mother slipped to the back to check the finances. “Isn’t that from the Nickelodeon movie a couple years ago starring that Max guy? That shit was cringy af.”

“Virge!” His mother berated.

“He’s said worse.” Jon mumbled, and Virgil told him to be quiet. The music slowed for a couple minutes, as Marisol taught Jon how to play the melody and he quickly picked up on it, the loud sound coming from strong fingers filling the shop once more as Marisol’s voice came back.

_ “At the pawn shop” _ Virgil laughed.

“This is a music store.” Virgil called back, but when Marisol didn’t reply, he continued, handing over the account book to his mother to look over. “I will fire you.”

“I’ll kick your butt, Foley.” Marisol replied, continuing to hum along as Jon played. 

“Virgil.” His mother said, seriously, catching his attention. He turned his head to the book. The shop wasn’t doing too good, he knew that, even with the arts school in town, the guitar shop used to have people come in and play all the time, but Virgil couldn’t get in contact with anybody besides Marisol. But she still had classes, and working the shop alone most days. 

His mother’s phone rang, signaling Elle calling them back to dinner, and it didn’t hurt to close up a little early anyway. Marisol said goodbye, pretending not to notice Virgil noticing her slipping Jon a $5. He texted his brother one last time to check on him and his mother read the reply off to him from the backseat, because Jon got shotgun this time around. The three sat outside for a couple minutes as they watched Elle and Damien leave the kitchen from the window, and Virgil felt like bleaching his eyes, despite the small smile on his face.  


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> roman is back...kind of  
> (italics represent the past which in this chapter is roman's senior year of college)

_ Roman was talking about Spring Awakening for the third time that day, and yet he still felt like he had just too many words to say on the production. Rehearsals had been going phenomenally, Roman felt like he and the Wendla and the Moritz that the university had casted just clicked. But if his two young friends were sick of hearing about the subject, they made no point of telling Roman, so he figured it was okay.  _

_ He had went to his Introductory to Psychology course that he took alongside the freshmen couple Emile and Remy, two of the only friends Roman had been able to find on campus since people tended to avoid him due to his extra nature. Remy rarely ever showed up to class and when he did Roman found his boyfriend tapping on his shoulder to get him awake and paying attention. Remy had almost fought Roman on who was gayer, and often disappeared for days without notice to him or Emile, but Roman enjoyed the man’s company nonetheless.  _

_ So on the walk from Psychology, he wasn’t particularly offended when he noticed Remy dozing off during his ramblings, Emile having to practically hold the other man up with their linked arms. He was about to say something about the two maybe heading back to their dorm when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind, a breath tickling his neck as a familiar voice whispered to him. “Are you talking about that play of yours again, darling?” _

_ “Musical.” Roman playfully corrected as he turned his head to press a kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek. Andrew was a very attractive man, Roman talked about it often, he was quite lucky to have someone so kind to put up with him.  _

_ “I was quite enjoying listening to you talk about it, Roman. You’re very passionate, it seems.” Emile smiled, pushing his glasses up his nose with his free hand, while pushing Remy upwards with the other. “Plus you don’t seem to spend your time with anyone else, so you’re probably not talking about it with anyone else.”  _

_ Roman’s smile dropped in the middle of his friend’s statement, but he still thanked him for listening. The small group of four had stopped just in front of the science center, Emile and Remy were standing a little more than an arms length from them now, more or so because they weren’t as familiar with Andrew as Roman was.  _

_ Andrew could scare people, Roman knew that, he was taller than most with broad football shoulders. But once you looked past the military blonde haircut, and reached the soft blue eyes, he really was a softie. Roman had spent most of college alone, he’d taken up his special line of work and performing as ways to distract himself from lonely night hours, and now he had friends and Andrew to keep his day hours just as busy. He just wished the three got along. _

_ “How’s the apartment hunting going?” Roman being a senior and his boyfriend being two years out of college, meant the two had to start thinking on life in the real world. Roman had his heart set on a big city, but not go to New York City until they had both worked enough for the money for rent and such.  _

_ Clearly not well, Roman figured as he watched his boyfriend’s good mood soil in front of his eyes, his shoulders slumping and his eyes suddenly looked way more sad than he thought they should ever look. Roman, wanting to help, figured he could use some help. “Well you know there’s that one site-” _

_ “Let’s not talk about it.” Andrew quickly replied, removing his arms from Roman’s waist and pressing a kiss to Roman’s lips, trying distract him. _

_ And Roman let him, just for a moment, because he wanted to let it go. He wanted to get lost in the feeling of his boyfriend’s lips on his, he wanted to reach up and run his hands through his hair, and yet he found himself pushing him away. “Andrew, we don’t have all-”  _

_ “Ro, I said drop it.” Andrew tried to kiss him again but this time Roman had his hands up in front of him. He almost forgot about the two freshmen that were now behind Roman as he lifted his chin and stood on his tiptoes to meet his boyfriend eye to eye. _

_ Roman needed to talk about it, he needed a concrete plan for the future or to talk about Spring Awakening again to feel like he was doing something. He needed this, why couldn’t Andrew just see that? “Drew please, I know what I’m talking about, all you have to do is-” _

_ “I SAID SHUT UP.” Andrew screamed, his face red, students turning their heads to see where the outburst had come from. Remy was awake now, his arms wrapped around Emile protectively, staring into the back of Roman’s head as he waited for his older friend’s reaction. _

_ And yet, there wasn’t one. Roman didn’t go running away in tears, even though they were there on the edges of his eyes. He didn’t spit back a yell at his boyfriend, even though there was one on the tip of his tongue. He let Andrew break into a heartless apology and explanation, tuning him out completely, falling into step with Emile and Remy as they walked towards the dining hall. _

_ When the road forked toward a residence hall that was not his own, Roman still took it, leaving the group unnoticed in silence. It was not until Remy took a look around after they were almost there to see that Roman was no longer at his side. He tapped on Emile’s forearm, alerting him, but not making a sound to alert the other occupant. They made it to the dining hall, and when Andrew finally noticed Roman’s disappearance, they said something about him heading home. They all knew that home to Roman meant Andrew’s apartment, and not his own dorm, so when Emile and Remy retreated back towards the middle of campus, Andrew thought nothing of it.  _

_ Roman had watched the two freshmen pass by him, heading to his dorm, and he almost felt guilty for being tucked behind the sophomore girls dormitory and not in his room. He sent them a text telling them he went on a walk, and turned to press his head against the red brick. Roman’s hands felt shaky, his breath felt uneven, and as tears slipped down his face, he felt cold. He didn’t know how long he stood there, but when he pulled away the tears were dried and there was a painful indent of the brick in his forehead that hurt a lot less than the rest of him.  _

Roman could still remember the feeling of the brick’s indent over his forehead, as he pushed through the city, he felt his hands run over the familiar material. There was a small bag in his back, some of his most valuable possessions he’d been able to grab when he slipped out after  Andrew had left for work. A couple acting awards, a picture of his parents even though they didn’t speak to him anymore, and his costume from his freshman year of college’s production of Into the Woods that he had been able to keep, surprisingly. The director said his casting had been a joke on his last name and a lack of older males, but then he had blown it away first day he was welcomed back every musical afterwards. 

Roman was still in his night shorts underneath the jeans he had haphazardly thrown on in his haste, and a black t-shirt under his signature red and white jacket. He was moving through the city through back alleyways in an attempt to avoid main traffic and being seen. When he had finally made it to the neighborhood, he had missed the sunrise and exhaustion was fighting against the new bruises at his sides. If he stopped to count the bruises on his thighs that scattered all the way up to his ribs and along his wrists, he’d surely fall over with a lack of momentum. Roman tried to focus on getting to the name on the mailbox, the number on the door, the people behind the windows. The ones he knew well, the ones that cared for him, that would help. 

They surely couldn’t protect him for long, eventually he’d have to go back, and though the thought made his stomach churn, he pushed on. Finally, just as the paper boy passed him on his bicycle, he reached the front of the lawn. The lights were off but the warmth associated with the home was still dragging Roman to the front door. His body ached as he climbed the steps and he but a split second to think about turning towards the bushes just under the living room before he collapsed, fainting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just for the sake of it, I've included some ages of the main characters because it's going to be easier to understand when i go back and forth between the 'the younger man' and 'the older man' because repetitive pronouns scare me
> 
> Patton - 29  
> Logan + Virgil - 27  
> Roman - 24  
> Thomas- 7  
> Jon - 6  
> Elle - 29  
> Damien - 28  
> Andrew - 26  
> Remy + Emile - 21 (present, college freshmen in the flashback in this chapter)  
> Marisol - 18  
> Logan's Mother + Father - late 50s/early 60s (I STILL NEED NAMES FOR THEM)
> 
> holy shit all the oc's trust me they're important. all of them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what happened back at the sanders house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! another update, i meant it to be earlier i just couldn’t find the inspiration for how to get patton from the scene with logan to the end scene with thomas. i finally did and i’m hopefully not going to be as long next time. Enjoy!

Logan excused himself to call Virgil, inform him he was staying the night at Patton’s and to bring him clothes in the morning. He felt a little guilty that in the chaos, he had forgotten his twin would be in charge of their nephew over the next couple days, but then he’d had an idea. Jon was quiet, sure, and sometimes the boy’s attitude could get the better of him but he was in desperate need of a friend. So it seemed, was Thomas. Logan didn’t enjoy meddling, never saw the appeal of it, but if it could help anyone, he would partake. 

“Dinner’s ready.” Patton’s voice was quiet even though it still broke the silence of the house loud enough for Logan to hear him from the bedroom, a different kind of quiet though, a broken quiet. Logan had tried to hold him for a little longer in the living room, but Patton had excused himself first, wrapping himself in his cooking. While it smelled delicious and the sight of Patton over the stove made Logan feel weird, he pushed both of those thoughts away as he surveyed both Sanders boys sat with him at the small table near towards the kitchen. 

They looked small and very far away from each other even though they were just on other side of the table. Thomas’ head was tucked into his chest as he ate and Patton was almost similar except once in a while he would look up at Logan, smiling but it never reached his eyes. Patton surely must have wanted to speak on the manner, and yet as time ticked on, both Sanders boys looked as though they’d rather be any place but here. Logan was the first to finish, and in means of starting conversation, complimented the food. Patton barely had time to hide his head from the blush that had reached his cheeks before a quiet voice interrupted the moment. “It was good as always, Dad.” 

Patton looked at his son’s eyes for the first time since he’d seen him on the floor of their living room covered in bruises and his own blood. He ignored his own nervousness at the subject and just looked at the absolute fear spread out across the tiniest specs of hazel mixed in with the light brown staring back him. Patton smiled slowly, trying to force it to come out as soft and comforting, and when Thomas sheepishly returned one, suddenly he didn’t have to force it anymore. “Why don’t you get ready for bed, kiddo?”

Normally, Thomas and Patton would watch a movie or Patton would indulge in his son in watching him partake in one of his many hobbies. Sometimes musical instruments, sometimes reading something Thomas wrote, a lot of times it would be singing together as they picked up the house from all the other activities. Tonight they were both exhausted though. 

“I’ll take the couch.” Logan said to Patton as Thomas retreated to his bedroom. Patton couldn’t help but marvel at the man before him, and what he’d done for Patton today. He wondered if he knew just how much his very presence now kept Patton from breaking. So much had happened, his own problems seemed so far away as the image of his son bruised and bloody came back to him. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, shaking his head at nothing like it would whisk the image away in a breeze. He felt his body give way again but then there he was, again. Logan. 

“Patton.” Logan said his name like it was the only thing that mattered in the world. Patton lifted his head as far as he could, which was only even with just under Logan’s nose. Logan pulled Patton closed again, pressing his hand against his back while Patton’s own arms stayed glued to his sides. The position was awkward, Patton’s nose was pressed against Logan’s cheek as the younger man had his head turned towards the window. He was trying all he could not lean on this man for any more support, Logan didn’t deserve to be burdened with it, and here the man was with his own shaking breath against Patton’s neck.

“I’m sorry.” Patton said, and Logan’s breath stopped all together. Patton pulled away to lifted his head all the way up and when he met those striking grey eyes they were staring at Patton with a feeling he couldn’t discern. 

“Don’t be sorry.” Logan’s voice sounded vengeful, angry like it had been in that  _ whore  _ room earlier but seeped with a hiss underneath it. “Patton, I am not good at comforting, but I would literally give anything to see you smile like you did in my closet, which seems so long ago. I don’t want you to blame yourself at all, because call it selfish, but I am so blessed to be the one here for you in this moment.”

Logan pulled away, not before turning his head and pressing a kiss to the end of Patton’s nose, and Patton nodded stepping into the bedroom and pulled out a blanket and a pillow for him. He took a moment to breath again, before returning to the living room where Thomas was standing at the door, his hands tucked behind his back. Patton handed Logan the blanket and pillow, keeping a raised eyebrow in his son’s direction. Thomas licked his lips, stuck his tongue out, and then closed his eyes leaning forward as if forcing the word out. “Dad.”

“Yes, kiddo?” Patton took a step closer, Thomas still didn’t open his eyes, and now he bent his head towards his chest to further keep his sights away. Patton ignored the small thud he heard, as Thomas took in a shaky breath. 

“Can I sleep in your room with you?” Patton wondered if Thomas had even breathed in between the words, but he still nodded. He then realized Thomas wasn’t going to open his eyes to see his answer, and his heart practically broke at the sight, that Thomas was so nervous around him.

“Of course, Thomas.” Patton said, and the boy only lifted his head for a moment to smile slowly at him. Patton lifted his arm out to point towards the bedroom and Thomas ran, rushing past Patton, stopping only to kick off his socks and hop onto the large bed. 

Patton turned his attention to the man who in midst of his and his son’s moment, had been on the floor, hidden by the couch. He was laid out over the floor, his pants at his ankles and his shirt discarded, and when he looked up at Patton he had a blush over his face, that ended just before the bottom of his glasses. Logan shoved his pants off the rest of the way, smiling awkwardly as he flopped his head back onto the ground. 

“I hope I did not disrupt your moment with Thomas. The emotional capacity in the room sort of jump scared me.” Logan said. 

“You’re adorable.” Patton blurted out, watching the man before him stumble into even more of a blushing, stuttering, mess at the moment as he 

“I-I-am-not.” Logan stood up, keeping his hands behind his back nervously. Patton scanned over him though, as Logan turned his head to look behind Patton at the door of his bedroom. “I think you-should-uh”

“Goodnight Logan.” Patton nodded, turning away and heading to his bedroom with the tiniest of smiles at the fact that Logan was still mumbling to himself when he closed the door. 

He took a moment to take a deep breath and flail his hands out giddily, before stepping towards the bed where Thomas was cuddled underneath the most popular blanket in the whole house. The large dark blue fluffy blanket with white ship anchors all over it, the very one Patton often found himself draping over his two boys during Roman’s sleepovers, was covering Thomas’s head dramatically as he laid in the fetal position. Patton took off his pants, laid them out over the chair and also stripped his shirt for good measure. Thomas had a dark blue shirt with black and white soccer balls all over it on, as well his black night shorts that stuck out against the blankets. 

“Goodnight Thomas.” Patton said, laying on top of the bed, reaching over to turn off the light and as he leaned back against his pillow he was greeted with his son throwing himself on top of his chest. 

“Dad?” Thomas whispered again. 

“Yeah, kiddo?” Patton said, wrapping his arms around Thomas and pulling him tight up towards his neck. The room was quiet and Patton could feel the boy’s breath on his collarbone but he didn’t mind, the chills actually helped him remember that Thomas was here, Thomas was safe. 

“I want to switch schools.” Thomas was speaking through tears, Patton could feel them on his bare chest, and he took to comforting Thomas before answering. 

“It’s okay, buddy.” Patton squeezed him a little tighter, unsure of who he was trying to convince, Thomas or himself. “I’m not going to let you get hurt again.” 

“I love you, Dad.” Thomas mumbled already half asleep, his small body extremely fatigued from the emotional stress it went under today. Patton ran a hand through his hair, letting the strands fall from the space between his fingers slowly as he watched his hand move through the dark room. 

“I love you too.” Patton pressed a kiss to Thomas’s head and listened as his son’s breathing slowed, signally he was asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my ra results should be coming in today and im nervous, pls pray for me alsooooo does anyone have any idea for names for logan’s parents? if so, i could use them. they’re a little ways away still though.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didn't get the ra position but oh well i still have this story!

Thomas woke up to the sound of the shower running, figuring that was the reason his dad wasn’t in the bed next to him, only to be confused by the familiar aroma of Saturday morning pancakes. He padded out into the living room, his dad was at the stove cooking like expected, but the shower was still running.

“Is that your friend?” Thomas asked, pointing behind him as he sat down.

“Yes, his name is Logan. He told you yesterday.” Patton said, but not in a way that made Thomas feel any worse for not remembering the man’s name. Still, Thomas thought to himself, he wasn’t sure about him.

“Who is he?” Thomas asked, knowing his father wanted to tell him. Patton set the frying pan back on the stove, turned the burner down to low, and faced his son with the biggest smile that Thomas has seen on his father’s face in a while. 

“He’s well,” At that moment, the shower stopped. Thomas watched a nervousness take over his father’s hands, and a blush paint over his face. He looked around the room once, got very close to Thomas’s face, and smiled. “Someone I like.”

“Like, big kid like?” Thomas asked, his tone of voice and sneer showing his age.

“Yeah, big kid like.” Patton covered his hand, making him look younger than his age. Thomas giggled, at that. Then Logan emerged from the shower in his jeans from the previous day, a white undershirt, and his hair styled but dripping wet despite the towel wrapped around his shoulders.

“Good morning Thomas. Good morning Patton.” Logan sleepily mumbled, and Patton nodded his head, but did not reply. 

“Morning, Logan. I’m going to my room.” Thomas called running towards his door, slamming it quite loudly behind him. Logan watched him retreat with a confused eyebrow but decided it wasn’t his business, at least the boy looked happier than he had seen him just before bed. 

“You know,” Patton trailed his way over to where Logan was standing by the door of the bathroom, not before checking the pancakes one more time. He looked up at Logan as he reached him, staring into those eyes that almost made him forget why he had walked over. One of the fingers on his right hands trailed up from the crease of Logan’s elbow to his shoulder. “This is meant to dry your hair.”

Before Logan could even unclench his eyebrows, Patton had grabbed the towel and was furiously rubbing it over the other man’s head, ruining the styled hair but effectively stopping the dripping water. When he pulled the towel away he expected a pout of some sorts, maybe even a growl. But instead Logan’s eyes were closed, his lips turned slightly upward in a kind of pseudo smile. He looked amazing. 

“Well that’s not fair.” Logan spoke unexpectedly, opening his eyes to look down at Patton. He reached forwards, taking the towel from Patton, and grabbed it with one hand on either end. Logan then lifted it over Patton’s head all the way to his waist, and pulled. 

“Oh.” Patton said at the force of being pushed up against Logan’s body. 

“That’s better.” Logan’s pseudo smile had formed into a smirk. His eyes traced down Patton, and Patton’s blush grew against his typically red cheeks. Logan swallowed and Patton suddenly felt more confident than he ever could have, using his fingertips to hook the belt loops of Logan’s jeans. 

“Tell me about it.” Patton bit his lip in a way that he hoped read as attractive. He leaned forward, slow enough to where Logan could back away if he wanted, and he tried to hide his own surprise at actually kissing him. Patton closed his eyes, pushed a little bit harder against Logan’s lips, and let his fingers pull him just a little bit closer.

“Patton.” Logan whined, his head leaning back so the crown of it rested against the bathroom door. 

“Hm?” Patton made a sound of acknowledgement as he hesitantly pulled his lips away from Logan. Logan’s eyes were closed, so he probably couldn’t see Patton’s nervous smile as he leaned forward to press a kiss to Logan’s neck. The taller man shuddered in response. 

“Please.” Logan pushed his hips forward, reached up and grabbed Patton’s hair to keep his face kind of awkwardly pushed against Logan’s neck. The towel also fell on the ground behind him, but Patton couldn’t care less. Patton was more than happy to keep his face at the place between Logan’s shoulder and his neck, and was about to continue when a loud knock rang in his ears.

His first thought was Thomas, so he jumped away surprisedly but Thomas door was still closed and there was the faintest sound of the Lion King soundtrack playing, so it couldn’t have been him. Logan still had his eyes closed, and was now about a little more than an arms length away from him. “Was that your door?” 

“Yeah,” Patton said, taking a moment to catch his breath as a quick, loud, knock interrupted him again. “Yeah, it was.” 

“Ugh.” Logan groaned, opening his eyes just as the knocking suddenly got more frantic and louder, the sound of Logan’s name coming from outside. 

“Do you want to tell me,” Patton moved quickly towards the door, not exactly paying attention as he reached for the handle. “why someone is calling for you at my doorstep?”

Logan didn’t a chance to enter because as soon as Patton swung open the door, a very disgruntled Jon was being thrown into the shorter man’s arms with a nervous command of getting him away. Patton nodded, the child looked upset but wasn’t exactly crying or even really saying anything. 

“Hello again Jon.” Patton said, running over to the couch, and Thomas trailed back into the living room, the music just a little bit louder as his bedroom door was open now. 

“Hello, Patton.” Jon mumbled in response.

“Dad?” Thomas asked. “What’s going on?” 

“I’m not sure.” Patton said, setting Jon down on the couch. “Here, Thomas this is Jon. Logan’s nephew, Jon, this is my son Thomas.” 

Jon nodded, didn’t really reply, but Thomas hummed in response. The cheerfulness to it didn’t really fit the seemingly distressed situation happening at his doorstep, or the solemn mood the boy was in the night before. Thomas stayed away from the couch though, with his arms crossed in front of his chest as if to protect himself. “Are you going to beat me up?”

“No.” Jon replied quickly before cutting himself off and taking in what Thomas had said. “Are you going to beat me up?” 

“No.” Thomas uncrossed his arms and sat down next to Jon, looking down at his tshirt. Most of it was just a dark red, but an outlined black and white picture of Mickey Mouse waving stuck out and up from the bottom right corner of the shirt. Thomas pointed to it. “Do you like Disney?”

“Yeah.” Jon replied, thinking about whether or not he should mention Woody in his purple sling backpack that was hanging off one of his shoulders.

“Wanna go listen to the Lion King in my room?” Thomas might not have been the typical mature for his age, but he knew when a situation wasn’t really meant for kids. Jon thankfully seemed to have a look on his face that read he would follow Thomas anywhere. The two head off into Thomas’s room, and Patton almost had to pinch himself at the scene. Kids were so pure.

“Logan I could use your help.” Virgil’s voice sounded more worried than when Patton had last heard it. Then again he was starting to think it was common to hear Virgil’s voice worried. 

“What’s going on?” Patton asked, stepping in front of Logan to get a handle on the situation. He’d been through a lot yes, but this was still his house. 

“There’s somebody passed out in your bushes.” Virgil replied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited i just want this story to be written but like I'm the writer but like others could do so much better and they wouldn't make you wait as long. ah whatevs leave a comment, i read everyone i appreciate them so much.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! enjoy! leave your comments, i enjoy the ones where you go into detail if you want. i'll receive any advice!

“So,” Thomas swiveled around in his desk chair facing Jon who was sat on his bed. Jon fidgeted in his place, picking at the bottom of his frayed overalls. He kept the straps off completely, so they hung near his thighs, not because he thought it looked cool, but because he was just too skinny for the straps to stay up. “Logan’s your uncle?”

“Yes.” Jon replied, his nerves took over every movement of his hands, but at the same time he felt something else bubble in his chest. “He’s my second favorite uncle.” 

“Why is he your second favorite?” Thomas asked. 

“Virgil said that when you can’t pick a favorite of something, just pick two second favorites. Virgil and Logan are my second favorite uncles.” Jon said matter of factly. The younger boy spoke better than some of Thomas’s teachers, in his personal opinion. He didn’t seem too emotional underneath his words, but his words were very well versed. 

“You’re interesting, you know that?” Thomas said, tilting his head to the side and sort of sticking his face in the other boy’s face. 

“Like how?” Jon didn’t appear uncomfortable with how close the two were, in fact if Thomas would’ve guessed, he appeared completely composed. 

“I’m not sure yet. Do you have a best friend?” Thomas felt the urge to hold his hands underneath his thighs. He did, anyways, and rolled his body against them in hopes to push the nervous energy out of him. He wasn’t sure yet why he was nervous.

“No.” Jon said, and he pulled his face away, a frown suddenly crossing it. 

“Neither do I.” Thomas vaguely remembered the Lion King soundtrack playing in the background, the low tunes of _ I Just Can’t Wait to be King  _ dancing over their silence. He stood, with an odd sense of formality about the whole thing before taking a seat across from Jon on the bed, their faces closer once again. “Will you be mine?” 

“Oh my god.” Patton’s body shook against Logan’s as the taller man tried to hold him still in his arms. Poor Patton didn’t deserve it. Any of it. Not his job tearing at his boundaries, his son being bullied at school, his best friend beaten and bloody and passed out in a bush. Logan wanted to take him back to the Patton he had met that night so long ago but in reality only a few days. Oh dear, only a few days, and he already  _ felt  _ so much. Felt so much for Patton.

“It’s okay. You’re okay. He’s breathing. He’s going to be okay.” Logan tried to find it in his vast knowledge of things and words which ones would make Patton feel better. Patton was still shaking, and Logan closed his eyes, holding Patton just a little tighter as Virgil returned from the bathroom to set the cold wet cloth on Roman’s forehead. Logan began humming the only happy song he knew, and slowly but surely he felt Patton’s breathing and heart beat even out against his chest. 

“Little darling.” Logan pressed a kiss to the top of Patton’s hair. Patton smiled, pushing off of him, not gently but on some level Logan understood. He was able to ignore the way Patton turned away from him to take a breather and to head over towards Roman laying, barely waking, on the couch. Patton had power in his step, he had a job to do. And while Logan wanted to take Patton to the bedroom and lock him away from the world, Patton wanted to be out here. Patton wanted to help. 

And by god, that was beautiful. 

“Ow, ow, ow, ow.” Roman’s well earned complaints were followed by a rapid string of curses as he tried to sit up, but soon enough Patton was at his side, gently pushing on his chest to get him to lay down again. The two had a silent battle, Logan watching from the back of the couch and Virgil on the same side but a couple steps back. Patton looked to have won, but at the same time Roman’s shoulders were at least at a higher angle, a compromise it seemed. 

“What. happened.” The tone that Patton spoke wasn’t unkind, necessarily. It was harsh, for sure, but it was more forceful than anything. It left no room for Roman to disagree. 

“I-” Logan watched Roman choke on his words more than he heard him, the man’s chest stuttered as he breathed and fought back tears. “I left.”

Patton found Roman’s hand that was laying almost off the couch, it was the only part of him that wasn’t hurt really, and he took in in his own. He ran his thumb comfortingly along the long bone that connected to Roman’s pinky before nodding his head. Roman seemed to know what he meant and nodded in response. Patton turned around to nudge his head at Logan. Out. 

“Virge, let’s check on the boys.” Logan nodded, pulling his brother into the young boy’s bedroom, and Patton faintly heard the sounds of excitement come from the doorway as it closed leaving the two alone. 

Patton reached for the hem of Roman’s shirt, looked up at him once before proceeding and through a teary gaze the other man nodded. He slowly lifted it off, only having to have Roman squirm and wiggle as he pulled it off his arms and when faced with the sight before him he didn’t react at all. He wanted to scream, to cry, to hit-something. But Roman didn’t need that right now. 

“We’re taking you to the hospital.” Patton said, mentally counting the faded cuts and bruises he could find on Roman’s torso alone. 26, so far. 

“Okay.”  _ Please no.  _ Roman went to say more, but all that came out were heavy breaths, pain unrelenting surely, but emotional barring much more weightful. 

The two didn’t talk much after that, mostly Patton surveying the damage and comforting him in a very Patton-ly way before Logan and Virgil emerged with the two boys. Patton draped a blanket over Roman, the younger man’s eyes had already begun to droop as he was fatigued. Patton informed the two that he was taking Roman to the hospital, but surprisingly Virgil shook his head. 

“You can’t drive alone, Patton. You’re too shaken up.” Virgil shook his head. Stubborn as ever. 

“Can Logan stay with us?” Thomas asked, his hands folded behind his back. Jon turned him curiously, surely he knew that Virgil was arguably a more fun babysitter. He made pizza sometimes, Jon had just told Thomas about it. Jon and Thomas talked a lot in the hour they’d known each other. It was fantastic. 

“I will keep track of the children.” Logan nodded in agreement. 

“And we’ll keep track of the bigger child.” Patton laughed, but it was watery and sad. Virgil walked over to the couch, pushing his arms underneath Roman’s body and lifting. The younger man stirred and looked up at the face above him, flush but smirking. 

“Well hello.” Roman’s voice was slurred and he was already falling back asleep. “My handsome knight in dark armor.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Virgil chuckled and Logan seemed perplexed at the sound. “Just go back to sleep Prince Charming.” 

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized I didn't put like warnings on this story, so Imma do that. it's 6 am where I am and I haven't slept for two days. There's a new character in this chapter. Honestly expect a million characters by the end.

Logan closed the door to Patton’s house behind him as they left to head to the hospital, letting his body weight press against the door heavy as he failed to grip the wood tightly. He had just closed his eyes, pressed his head against the door at the spot where his neck started, and let his head fall toward his chest when the phone rang. He moved to grab the phone, pressing the answering tone not really sure what he was expecting to be on the other line especially when he heard Thomas’s “No!”

Whatever he was expecting to hear wasn’t the deep graveling voice that he ended up hearing. “Hey pretty boy, what do you say you swing by for a quickie before I have to go to work?”

Logan hung up. But he wished he’d never answered.

Red was behind his eyes. And the image of Patton, curled up in on himself broken, terrified, alone in that room when Roman and him had found him. And it quickly became all he could see-all he could hear-was Patton. No not Patton, the voice was young, so soft, it was Thomas. Patton’s son. Patton’s son Thomas was calling to him, calling his name. And someone else. Jon. His nephew.

“Logan-are you okay?” His eyes opened to see his sister’s tear-flooded young face flash before him before it turned into Jon’s, not nearly as sad but there was the tiniest of scared tears collected at the edges of his eyes. Thomas’s face was next to his, not Patton’s, looking a lot less terrified than Jon’s, and that’s when Logan realized the children and him were eye level. He was almost two feet taller than Jon last time he’d got measured. Logan was on the floor.

Logan blinked back the images of Patton, focused on Jon and Thomas, and in just a few milliseconds he was able to smile blindly at the two boys. He felt the nervous touch of fingers before he saw them, and then Thomas was pulling the telephone out of Logan’s hand.  

“Dad doesn’t want me to answer the phone. Says his boss can be pretty mean.” Thomas smiled at him and held out his arm to help the man up.

“Ok.” Logan said, standing up and brushing off his jeans even though they had nothing on them. He reached down, grabbing Jon by the waist and hoisting him up in the air much to the child’s surprise. However soon enough he was resting his blonde head on Logan’s shoulder comfortingly.

“Want to watch Disney movies?” Thomas said, running front of the couch to jump and land on his side facing the TV. Logan paused, running a hand in small circles on the lower part of Jon’s back as he thankfully heard the child humming in response. On one hand he wanted the children comfortable, on the other hand he couldn’t stand Disney movies with their unnecessary amounts of singing, fabricated and exaggerated ideas of romance and wooing.

“Space!” Jon shouted in his ear, causing Logan to flinch. Logan was about to calmly remind him that yelling was unnecessary when he was so close, but then Thomas got equally excited about a movie about space. So Logan did the responsible thing and put on Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Once they’d seen Roman’s condition at the ER, they admitted him to a room almost immediately. However that also meant Roman was almost immediately ripped from Patton and hauled off down the hall where neither Patton or Virgil could see him at all.

It wouldn’t be too bad, in Virgil’s opinion, he’d been on the other side of the waiting room door a lot of times when he was younger. One of the more notable was Elle convincing him to try and jump from their family trampoline (which was on the ground) into their family pool (which was raised up level with the deck of their back porch). Virgil ended up with a concussion, and Elle had been grounded for a week. Logan, was not involved.

Virgil smirked to himself as he remembered the story, pushing the button on the vending machine that corresponded with the Butterfingers that were Patton’s favorite. It had taken a lot to get that information out of the man who was insistent about staring down his shoes. He was about to get a red Mountain Dew for himself from the machine next to it when the sound of screaming made Virgil turn around, and boy was he surprised.

Not by the screaming, in fact it was more like very loud, frantic, complaining if anything. No he was surprised because Patton, who had previously been in a chair across the room with his head down was now up and about a foot away from Virgil. He was at the bed of a girl, who was kicking her feet and shouting at the police officer who seemed to be trying to restrain her.

“Let me the fuck go, man, or I swear I’ll kick your ass.” The girl shouted, her voice was high, probably because she was in a stressful situation. She had medium length black hair and was wearing yellow overalls that were open at the buttons on the side. What Virgil knew was this police guy needed to back off, because she looked two seconds away from a panic attack.

What Virgil didn’t know was that Patton knew those yellow overalls, but more importantly the gold sequined underwear that they could see from the torn open buttons.

“Hey, back off.” Patton called, Virgil watched his eyes turn cold. Patton, sweet loving guy who he’d literally just seen in tears not a half an hour ago looked like he had no emotion in his body other than pure, unfiltered, anger.

“Sir, the situation is under control.” The police officer almost stepped away as the girl screamed for real this time, an ear twisting scream. Virgil turned to watch people in the waiting room move away from the situation, crowding together and whispering to each other. He stayed at the vending machine.

“Clearly, it’s not. Are you okay, sweetheart?” Patton turned to the girl. Virgil watched the girl stop, look Patton up and down as silence fell, and she let her head fall back against the pillow on the stretcher she was on.

“Sir, you need to step away.” The police officer held his hands out and Virgil watched Patton almost consider it but then the girl started to squirm again and shout, her voice sounded more choked this time around.

“Officer, let me go. I know this guy. He’ll tell you I’m fine.” The girl stopped moving after she realized the officer was not going to obey this less curse filled request. “Please.”

“Do you know this girl?” The officer crossed his arms, looking like he literally wanted to be anywhere else. Virgil figured the guy was just trying to do his job, but still between the girl’s face switching from pissed to scared to upset and Patton’s angry glare, he couldn’t help but be unsettled.

“Yes.” Both Patton and this girl replied at the same time.

“Can I see some ID?” Patton reached into his pocket, and the girl looked a little more settled again. Patton handed over his card, and before Virgil realized it, he was moving closer to see what happened. “Mam, want to tell me who this man is?”

“This is my dad Roman’s coworker Pat. He’s like 30 something, probably. He’s got a new  boyfriend, tall, dorky looking guy. Kinda looks like the guy behind him. Has a son Thomas, I think. I think his name is Thomas, I know he has a son.” The girl rattled off, her head pressed against the pillow again, looking, annoyed?

Patton was nodding along, but wait Roman had a kid? Who looked like 18? That’s like not even half his age. Not even half Virgil’s age. Virgil wasn’t ready to be a step-woah. Where did that come from? Sure the guy was cute. But it looked like all the bones in his body were broken. Virgil wasn’t sure his type of men was boneless.

The officer clicked his little machine shut, handing Patton over his ID back. “Well your name is Pat. Patton. And you do have a son named Thomas. But your coworker’s child, who is more than likely a minor, still needs to be checked out and I should probably stay with her since a guardian is not present.”

“I told you dude, I’m 18.” The girl turned her head, and Virgil got a look of her face for the first time. She had hazel eyes, with more yellow than brown, and for a moment they were staring right into Virgil’s soul.  She was also littered with cuts, almost making them look like really thin really long freckles. That, presumably, was not a good thing.

“I told you, I can’t prove that.” The officer pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated.

“And I told you,” She rolled over, dropping Virgil’s gaze, and looked back at the officer with a smirk on her face. “you can’t not prove it either.”

“Fine.” The officer growled, reaching over and unbuckling the belts of the stretcher. The girl got up, tried to cover up a stumble, but Patton caught her shoulders in his hands, keeping her upright. “Just watch out for yourself.”

“No promises.” She flipped him off, her thumb sticking out. The officer made a ‘hah’ kinda sound with his mouth and the girl mocked him.

The girl stumbled again, and Patton took to wrapping his arms around her shoulders completely, tugging her into him. The doctor came by at this moment, telling them that family could come in and see him. This girl of course told them that Roman was her uncle, and Patton was her father, saying it just loud enough for the police offer passing them with the stretcher to hear. The doctor tried to keep Virgil out, but one look from this girl told him to let it pass. Apparently nobody in this hospital had any kind of security so just like that, they were walking to Roman’s room.

The doctor talked to Patton on the walk, the girl using his elbow as a weight though, and Virgil tapped her shoulder. “You’re not Roman’s kid, right?”

“God no. Dude, he’s not even like ten years older than me.” The girl poked his forehead as she whispered.

They were led to Roman’s room. He had a little bit of color back into him, at least. He was in a hospital gown and the blanket was pulled up to his middle even though he was sitting up, so they could only really see his face and neck. Didn’t mean there weren’t a ton of bruises and cuts still visible, though.

“None of you are his significant other, correct?” The doctor said behind them, all three were staring at what they could see of Roman from the doorway. Roman had yet to notice them, he was trying to corral a piece of fruit onto his fork.

“No.” Patton whispered, voice broken like it had been at his house.

“I believe, Mr. Prince, has signs of being in an extremely abusive relationship.” The doctor spoke quietly. “Mr. Prince and I have talked, but I stress you keep an eye on him.”

“Of course.” Virgil said when neither spoke. The doctor left.

“Ro?” Patton called. If Virgil could see what Roman saw, turning to look at Patton, he would have seen the quivering lip or the tears threatening to spill. But he couldn’t, he could only see the stiff shoulders and the hands gripping together behind his back.

“Pat!” That was all it took, the surprisingly happy call of his name, for Patton to be across the room in barely a second. He was holding Roman’s hand, pressing his forehead to Roman’s.

“Hey! Hey. I’m ok. They’ve got me on a lot of meds, that will make me pretty silly soon. But I’m like, gucci.” Roman was kind of laughing. Virgil liked it. He shouldn’t, because even though Roman was laughing, Patton was still technically crying and the girl that had followed them was still just kind of stood in the doorway staring at the floor. “Fid?”

“Hm?” She looked up. “Hi  Ro.”

“What are you doing here?” Roman’s smile kind of dropped.

“Just got into a tussle is all.” She moved forward heading toward the bed, but opted for pushing one of the chairs on either side of the bed towards Patton, him sitting down. “Officer tried to lock me in here. Pat helped me out.”

“You two know each other?” Roman giggled. Virgil wondered if he should step out.

“No.” Patton said.

“Not really.” The girl replied.

“So why did you help her?” Roman picked at another piece of food with his fork. Patton noticed, pressed the fork into the fruit and held it up to Roman’s mouth. He waited patiently, it felt like hours watching the two stare each other down, before Roman opened his mouth and Patton pushed it in.

“I recognized the uniform poking out of her pants.” Patton replied, lightly pressing his hand underneath Roman’s chin, encouraging him to chew. Virgil watched the girl start to button of the side of her overalls, but she didn’t put the straps back on her shoulders.

“Plus, all I had to do was say your name, and he kind of hopped on board with it all. Well he didn’t really have to say much.” The girl shrugged, kicking her shoes at the ground after she finished buttoning.

“So you lied.” Roman sounded surprisingly serious for the smile on his face. Probably the meds.

“Oh, please. Lying is like my middle name at this point. In fact, it might as well be my first name.” She placed her hands on her hips, superhero pose style, and plucked a big grin on her face.

“Fid already sounds like fib. I think you’re close enough.” Roman said. “Any further, and we’ll be calling you Deceit.”

“Ew. How dare you make me worry for your health for like two seconds?” Fid, apparently, said, changing the tone.

“You had us worried there, Ro.” Patton reached up, his fingers twirling one of the curlier ends of Roman’s hair. He slowly pushed them further into the head of hair, massaging the scalp. Roman titled his head up toward the touch, closing his eyes. Patton was the best at comfort.

“Us?” Roman asked, feeling sleepy.

“Logan’s brother.” Virgil stepped into the room further, making himself known with a little two fingered wave. It was awkward. It fit him. “Virgil. Or as you know me, your handsome knight in dark armor.”

Fid laughed, and Patton smiled but Roman had already started giggling halfway through his statement already. “Well, I’m never wrong.”

“Oh.” Virgil blushed, needing a reason to back out of the room again. “I’m going to call Logan. Let him know Charming over here is okay, and see how he’s doing with the brats.”

“One of those brats happens to be my son, you know.” Patton called. Fid was already in the other chair, leaned back and had her legs kicked up onto the railing of the hospital bed.

“One of them is also my nephew. I meant what I said.” Virgil got not just one, but two glares from that. Fid, of course, wasn’t paying attention. “I was kidding.”

Virgil left the room with his hands raised in the defensive position, trying to ignore the ‘he’s cute’ he heard on the way out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehehehe. let me know what you think in the comments.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s my birthday! That’s right hoes, I was born on Mendel and Trina’s wedding anniversary. Still haven’t slept tho. 

“Patton, darling.” Roman’s voice was light and airy, free of tension. Patton wondered when it was the last time he’d heard it like that, but quickly got distract by the feeling of Roman’s finger brushing along his cheekbone. His eyes were still closed, it was the best way to stop the tears. Virgil hadn’t returned from his phone call, but Fid was already dozing in the chair. 

“Yes?” Patton’s eyes drifted open, and he let a natural smile through because even though Roman’s face was littered with bruises and cuts and whatnot, Roman’s smile was contagious. Beautiful, even. 

“How are you doing?” Roman finger stopped short of Patton’s ear, dropped from his face all together 

“I’m tired.” Patton replied, quicker than he would’ve liked. 

“I can see.” There was a yawn slipped in there, but Roman tried to hide it best he could. Patton smiled, and when Roman reached down to tug on his hand, Patton tried to ignore it. Roman needed sleep, Roman needed to rest. “Come on Pat.” 

Patton sighed, knowing very well that the hospital would only yell at them for it later but right now his best friend looked so hurt, and Patton felt so tired, and he just wanted it all to stop for a moment. For the people he cared about to stop getting hurt. For whirlwinds of life to stop taking away his breath away before he had the chance to breathe after the ones before it. 

Roman shifted on his side, and everything told Patton to stay awake. To be on high alert. Virgil would be back anytime soon, he was sure, and with Patton being the only one he knew he would need someone to talk to. Roman groaned when he laid on his side, he needed to stretch out to let his body heal. But then Roman was tugging, and soon enough Patton was on the tiny hospital bed, with the railing next to the chair he had been sat in down. Fid’s side still had it’s railing up, but since there was no hiss from Roman when he pressed his back against it, it must have been supporting the younger man somehow. Roman wrapped his arms around him, pulling Patton toward him. They were spooning. 

Patton started laughing at the idea of bruised and bloodied Roman big spooning him, but it dissolved into kind of a quiet sob. Roman played with his fingers, hoping to calm him, and soon enough between that and the subtle humming of a show tune in his ear, Patton was able to fall asleep. 

Roman wasn’t sure how long he sat there in the uncomfortably cool lit hospital room with the daytime sunshine poking through the window, that is until one of the prettiest boys he’s ever seen walked into his hospital room. He vaguely remember him being Logan’s twin brother, as he now was coming off his medication high, but to be honest the man looked very little like the Logan he’d met. 

He was tall and skinny, like Logan, but his brother  had curves, kind of, around the arms of his purple tshirt that showed as he slid the hoodie off his shoulders and onto the back of the chair that had been Pat’s. He kicked his feet up. Not on the railing like Fid’s, but on the bottom or second to bottom railing underneath the bed, letting his knees poke up a bit, a little bit of skin showing from the ripped jeans he was wearing. 

What was his name? Whatever it was must have sounded lovely, because as Roman scanned up towards his face, he was sure that yes, this man was lovely. He had dark circles under his eyes, so the two shared a certain disregard for sleep, and he had the most exquisite purple streaks towards the front of his black hair. What a vision. 

“Like what you see, Charming?” His voice was deep, gravely almost, but not in a way that was offsetting or uncomfortable. In fact it was quite relaxing. 

“Yeah.” Roman answered the man’s smirk with one of his own, but his voice was whisper, as not to wake Patton. “So much so, I’ve forgotten your name.” 

“Virgil.” Virgil, it seems, blushed. It was a well worth it sight for embarrassing himself, Roman decided.

“A very nice name.” Roman replied. 

“No it’s not.” The other man snickered, pulling out his phone to scroll through, what Roman could see of it was, one of Virgil’s social medias.

“A nice name for a nice looking man.” Roman countered, gripping Patton a little tighter as his best friend made a noise in his sleep.

“Oh my god-” Yawn. “Will you two get a room?”

“Fid, you’re in my hospital room.” Roman barely finished his sentence before his voice was fading, his eyes fluttering closed in a way that Virgil definitely didn’t notice. Or at least would never say that he noticed. Or cared for. Totally didn’t like seeing this Roman guy sleepy. That was just weird right? 

“Man, do you guys ever get any sleep?” Virgil chucked, reaching behind him to flick one of the table lamps off. 

“We’re prostitutes, what can we say.” Fid shrugged, turning in the tiny hospital chair in a way that showed how uncomfortable they truly were. Roman hummed in agreement, looking down at Patton, acknowledging him in a way. 

“How does one even get into that kind of job?” Virgil pretend he was still invested in whatever Instagram post was most prevalent on his phone, and not the way Roman’s breath hitched. He also noticed Fid shifting again, hiding her face from where the other men could still see her. 

“You looking to get into it?” Fid growled, pulling her arms close to her to make herself warmer. 

“No way.” Virgil clicked his phone off. “Just curious.” 

Roman opened his mouth to answer, closed it, and then opened it again. This time his voice felt emptier in the room, like it didn’t fill it enough.. “By having the kind of desperation where you would do anything to survive to your next meal.” 

At that moment, Fid’s stomach growled and she gave a small laugh, whipping out her pointer finger to point across Roman at Patton. 

“By having a son to take care of that you love more than anything.” Her finger moved to point at Roman. “By having a shitty boyfriend that doesn’t deserve you.” 

And her voice stuttered as she tried to point to herself, but Roman threw up a pointed thumb back in her direction. “And having no parents. No siblings. And nobody but a flamboyant sex worker looking out for you even though you’re incredibly bright.” 

“Yeah right.” Fid snickered, and so did Roman so Virgil figured he could too. As they were laughing the two kind of shrugged in like a ‘what can ya do’ move. 

Sometime later the two had fallen asleep. Virgil had got up to drape his hoodie over Fid’s much smaller body that got very much engulfed in the garment, when a nurse had come in. She groaned, reaching over to turn on the light that Virgil had turned off, and was reaching to touch Patton when Virgil cleared his throat. 

“You better not even think about moving any of them.” He warned, and she stopped for a moment to glare at him, but moved away from that side of the bed anyway. 

The nurse pushed over toward the side of the bed that he and Fid were on, Fid still supposedly sleeping in the chair, and leaned over Virgil to check Roman’s vitals. Her ass pushed against Virgil’s front, and he ignored the wiggle she did when she pushed against him again to leave the tiny area. She had a sway in her hips as she left. 

“That was disgusting.” Fid mumbled, clearly in between the states of conscious and unconscious. 

“I’m too gay for this shit.” Virgil groaned, plopping himself down in the chair just as he received a jpeg from Logan of Thomas and Jon curled up asleep on Patton’s couch with the caption being merriam webster’s definition of ‘precious’. 

“I’m just gay enough for this shit.” Fid mumbled, laughing to herself very fatiguely as she fell asleep again, curling up in Virgil’s hoodie even more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you thought in the comments


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy pride ya gay mfs. i could say that i was super busy but in reality my depressed and sleepless brain hates every single word of my writing. so i had this written, and then wanted to change, but yeah. enjoy

“When does Roman get released?” Thomas asked.

“When can we go home?” Jon said over Thomas asking his question again.

“When does my Adderall kick in?” Logan sarcastically mumbled to himself under his breath. He cared deeply for Thomas, and he loved Jon, but if these children asked him one more question his brain was incredibly likely to explode.

He had mistakenly decided to take the children out to breakfast this morning while Patton and Virgil remained at the hospital with Roman. He had heard Jon’s comments about Virgil being the better babysitter, and the longer that he sit with these two, he was beginning to believe it. _They’re just children Logan,_ his mother’s voice chided him inside his head, _they don’t know what’s going on._

 _I don’t even know what’s going on!_ Logan’s internal voice argued with his mother’s voice in his head, and that’s when he shook his head violently. He was going insane. He was a teacher for god’s sake, granted he taught upper levels of math and science at an advanced arts school, but he dealt with kids every day.

 _You’re stressed, Logan, you get irritated more easily, you know, that._ Logan took a deep breath again, _might as well implore her assistance if I’m going to talk to her voice in my head._ He pulled his phone out at the moment that Jon and Thomas had distracted themselves with another argument over the best disney movie, and sent a text to his mother.

_loganfoley : how does one entertain two obnoxiously curious children_

_karenfoley : answer their questions?_

_karen foley : is everything okay?_

_loganfoley : i am never having children._

_karenfoley : you’ve wanted children, since as long as i can remember._

_loganfoley : why won’t you let me be dramatic?_

_karenfoley : you hate being dramatic._

_loganfoley : thanks mom._

_karenfoley : call me sometime soon, okay?_

_loganfoley : bye mom._

_karenfoley : LOGAN FOLEY CALL YOUR MOTHER._

Luckily for him, the questions started again rather quickly, as their plates arrived.

“When are we going home?” Jon asked, his mouth stuffed with food. Logan watches Thomas reach over with his napkin and brush away the pieces of omelette that got stuck just underneath his bottom lip, and Jon thanked him. Kids were weird.

“When Roman gets out of the hospital probably. That way Thomas can go back with his Dad.” Logan said, stabbing his eggs a little harder than he intended. He took a breath, Thomas’s dad, this was for Patton. And for Virgil, and for Roman. Surprisingly, those reminders helped him calm down.

“When is Roman getting out of the hospital?” Thomas asked, after folding his napkin with Jon’s mess on it, he had begun a stare down with his breakfast. For what, Logan wasn’t sure, but the growling of Thomas’s stomach seemed to win as he finally begun picking at his food.

“When he gets better, maybe a couple days. He was very injured.” Logan replied, hoping that was the end of their questions.

“Why is Roman injured?” Jon asked. It wasn’t.

But Logan didn’t even have time to answer, because Thomas took it for him. “Ro’s boyfriend beats him up.”

“Thomas!” Logan chastised, he wasn’t sure why. His brain took time to catch up with the conversation just long enough for him to realize he sounded a lot like his mother just then. Oh god.

“Logan!” Thomas replied, shaking his head with attitude. _With attitude? Oh god, I really am my mother._ Logan took another deep breath, even closed his eyes too, and when he opened them he was able to see Thomas was in fact, angry at something. His eyebrows were being pushed closer together, his mouth in a scowl. “Thomas, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Thomas stabbed his fork into his pancake in a similar way that Logan had earlier, but it never actually reached his mouth, he simply set it back down.

“Your father would want you to eat your breakfast, Thomas.” Logan said, even he could hear the sound of Thomas’s stomach. Patton would be very mad at him if Thomas didn’t eat.

“Well my dad’s not here right now, Logan.” Thomas bit back, sitting back in his chair, completely away from the plate now. Patton would be very mad at him anyway, Thomas was not happy. Thomas stood up, and started walking towards the back of the small diner they were at. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

“You should be accompanied-” Logan started.

“And I should care, but I don’t.” Thomas slammed the door to the bathroom loudly, but Logan got up to follow him anyways. Jon followed. Thank god.

“Thomas?” Jon called, and the aggravated hum that came from the other side of the door told them that Thomas hadn’t even moved from the door. “Thomas, don’t be mad at Logan.”

Thomas opened the door, thankfully for 10 am on a Sunday, there weren’t many people in the diner. It most likely was because the church across the street that Logan’s family sometimes went to, had it’s services at this time. Still, Thomas looked pretty angry, for a seven year old.

“I’m not mad at Logan.” Thomas said, sounding very mad at Logan. But then he took a deep breath, _like Dad taught you Thomas,_ and he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry that I was rude, but I’m upset.”

“What are you upset about?” Logan asked. _Feelings,_ he thought to himself, _the bane of my existence._

“I miss my Dad.” Thomas walked back to where they had been sat, Jon and Logan following him as he plopped down in his chair. “And Roman.”

“Well that is a solvable issue. Why don’t, after breakfast, we go see Patton and Roman in the hospital?” Logan offered, and both children, surprisingly, got excited.

Soon enough, a little over an hour later, Thomas was running into the hospital room where Logan could see Virgil playing cards with someone, Patton at the chair near the bed, and-“Roman!”

“Prince Thomas!” Roman replied, letting the boy climb up onto the hospital bed to give him a big ole hug. The red paper crown wobbled on Thomas’s head, he and Jon had both gotten them on the way out of the diner from a smiling waitress, and Roman turned towards Jon who was now holding Logan’s hand just a little tighter. “Ah! Another prince, your majesty, I’d bow but I seem unable to use my legs.”

“Uh-I’m not a prince.” Jon said, reaching up to take the crown off his head.

“Sure you are.” Thomas smiled as he curled underneath Roman’s arm, despite the wince. “At least to me.”

“Okay.” Jon smiled, letting go of Logan’s hand to run to the end of Roman’s hospital bed. However upon reaching it, he stopped, and carefully climb as to not hurt Roman. Thomas didn’t seem to be scared of the bruises or the cuts, so neither should Jon, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be careful not to hurt Thomas’s friend.

“Roman, can you tell Jon one of your Prince stories?” Thomas asked.

“Do you want an old one or a new one that you haven’t heard?” Roman reached his unoccupied hand down to run it through Thomas’s hair.

“An old one. That way, I can just cuddle you now that you’re okay.” Thomas turned so his cheek now rested against Roman’s chest, his eyes closing as he squeezed the hand that Roman had around him. Roman wanted to coo but settled for beginning into one of his regal tales.

Logan noticed Patton, looked, content  His arm was resting on the nightstand next to the bed, the railing on his side that would’ve stopped Jon or Thomas climbing up, was completely down. Patton’s head was resting on his arm, and he was watching Thomas and Roman with a very sleepy, very soft expression. Logan couldn’t help a smile, and he leaned over, and pressed a kiss to his head. Patton’s eyes widened for a minute, and he looked up. When he realized it was just Logan though, he set his head back down on his arm now with his eyes closed and a blush on his cheeks.

“You seem very awake, Patton. Get much sleep?” Logan asked, fighting an urge to hug Patton, to pull him up into his arms. He shouldn’t have such an incessant want to touch the other man in some comforting way. Overall he’d say he won that war, but the fact that his fingers quickly found their way into Patton’s hair, meant he’d at least lost a battle.

“A little.” Patton hummed, his tongue stopping at the end of statement to rest between his lips.

 _“You’re so cute I could kiss you.”_ It took about two seconds for Logan to realize he hadn’t thought that, but said it. Now he was the one to blush, but Patton was looking up at him with a smirk.

“Then do it.” So Logan did. He leaned down, pressed his lips softly, softer than he’s probably ever kissed him. It was but Patton pushed against him. Patton leaned forward, daring him, and Logan pushed back. He vaguely registers the sound of a hard smack against someone’s shoulder behind him.

“Ow.” That’s his brother’s voice, but then Patto’s tongue is tracing the middle of his lips, and Logan suddenly doesn’t give a shit. “Ew, get a room!”

Patton pulls away all too quickly, smiling now, but more importantly with a look in his eyes that was all smug, and it made Logan’s knees weak. Another voice behind him, one that he didn’t recognize, cat called. “Way to go, Pat!”

“Who-” Logan’s voice was on the brink of moaning, he knew that, but he cleared his voice. _There are kids here,_ his mother’s voice was in his head again, _why was she still in there?_ “Who are you?”

The girl stared him down, so Logan attempted to do the same. He couldn’t quite copy the certain uncomfortable amount of discontent she seemed to hold in the way her knee bent on top of the arm of the hospital chair, but even as she curved the right side of her bottom lip upward, she didn’t come off as cold. In fact, as she spoke, there was a hint of amusement in her voice. “I was right, you are dorky.”

“Excuse-” Logan didn’t get a chance to defend himself. He didn’t get a chance to bite back at this short haired menace, because Patton was grabbing his hand. His fingers were tracing along the knuckles of his hand, and he got distracted.

Distracted enough to jump at the sound of someone knocking on the door. Everyone in the room stood, Logan held his arms out in front of him, successfully blocking Patton, Roman, and the two kids on the bed. The stranger spoke. “Well, well, well if it isn’t Roman Sanders.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment, i love those. also what do y'all think about this good-ish female deceit that I've got going on. that's the part of this story that im most nervous for. also if you haven't checked out my tumblr you can find me at www.ascreamingstrawberry.tumblr.com. thanks a bunches and have a wonderful day!!! again happy pride!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy! im pumping these next few chapters out quick bc next week my life get +10 busy, but they're honestly my favorite chapters

“We haven’t spoke in almost three years!” The voice was cheerful, more so than any other voice Roman had heard in his life, but it still took him a moment to recognize the face. 

“Emile?” Roman was, in his own defense, very tired as he slurred the name of his old friend. It was hard not to miss the light pink hair dye sticking out against the stark white lighting of the hospital, a matching tie to go with it.  Roman hopelessly looked somewhere behind him,for the man’s old boyfriend, but alas he had come alone. Not that he minded, all that much.

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.” Emile stepped in the room, the bounce in his step more familiar than his face. His glasses fell down his nose a little, and he stopped moving forward to push them up. When he looked around at all the people, he didn’t move any closer. “You’ve got quite a crew with you.” 

“Ugh.” Logan’s voice surprised all in the room as the man pushed the middle finger and thumb of his hand, the one not holding Patton’s, along the line of his eyebrows. “I am so sick of meeting new people.”

“Oh shush.” Patton replied, affectionately. Surprising the taller man by tugging on his hand until Logan fell ungracefully into his lap. Logan gasped, and everyone else in the room giggled, but after that he was pretty much quiet. 

“Well nice to meet you too.” Emile scoffed, even though his smile never left his face. The tips of his shoes made a noise when they touched as he turned his feet inward. Then he leaned up on his tiptoes, holding his fingers out for a moment while he caught his balance, before landing back on the heels of his feet. Emile was peculiar, for sure. 

“Where’s Remy?” Roman had been carding his fingers through Thomas’s hair and he almost thought the boy hadn’t noticed, until he whined when Roman stopped and practically purred when he started again. Jon had moved to watch Virgil as he and Fid began playing cards again. Roman looked over at Patton, staring all starry and sleepy eyed up at Logan who looked just as far gone. A smile crept onto Roman’s face by the time Emile pulled himself out of his daydream enough to answer. 

“Well as much as I’m sure you two would like to catch up, I can’t bring him in since you’re technically a client at the moment.” Roman saw Emile’s face turn serious, more so than the time he yelled at Remy for trying to use red bull in his cereal instead of milk. It tasted delicious, but Roman had a headache all day. He had gotten yelled at quite a lot that day, even despite the headache. He hugged Thomas a little closer as the memory faded, and he realized the whole room had gone kinda quiet. 

“Client?” Roman couldn’t help but yawn. It had been a long day, but too many people needed things from him to sleep. Emile needed him to be attentive. Thomas and Patton needed him to be okay, even if he wasn’t. 

“Therapy, Roman. I’m issued by the hospital.” Emile dropped eye contact with him again, but this time he was staring at the floor and he almost looked, sad? “Do you want to speak alone?” 

Roman didn’t want to talk. He wanted to sleep. But then Fid was pulling Virgil out of the room, and Jon was hopping off the bed, so he figured he couldn’t escape it now. Logan stood up off Patton’s lap a blush still on his cheeks, and held his hand out to walk Jon into the hallway. Patton leaned over to tug Thomas out from under Roman’s arm, but the boy clung to him in his half-asleep state. “Come on Thomas.” 

“No.” Thomas whined, scooching further into Roman’s side. Roman kissed his forehead, not wanting to encourage the behavior but then again the movement was more of a distraction from the pain that Thomas caused doing so, than anything else. 

“Little prince, I really don’t want you to hear this stuff.” Roman said, trying to push the little boy towards Patton while watching Emile out of the corner of his eye. The young man was inspecting the frayed end of the curtains next to his bed, but was startled when Thomas let out a high pitched scream. 

“No,” Thomas kicked his legs at his father, suddenly awake, while trying to get closer by wrapping his arms around Roman’s neck. It was slightly constricting, breathing wise, but Roman was so tired and he didn’t want to hurt Thomas so he just kind of laid there, pliantly letting the chaos emerge around him. There were tears falling down Thomas’s face and his voice, though screaming, was hoarse and broken. He sounded not at all what a little boy should. Roman took that away from him.“You can’t make me leave.” 

Another kick, this time sort of towards Patton’s face. Patton dodged it in time though, and had managed to get both of his arms wrapped around Thomas’s middle. “Kiddo, you’re hurting Roman.” 

“He’s”  **_Kick_ ** . “hurt.”  **_Punch_ ** . “and he needs”  **_Kick_ ** . “me.” Thomas took a second to catch his breath, it was coming out in hiccups and for a moment Roman wanted to pull him closer.

“He needs to talk to the therapist.” Patton yanked on his son’s middle pulling him completely off the bed and into his arms. He took this chance to run out of the hospital room completely, with Thomas back to kicking and screaming, not even getting the chance to close the door. 

Roman watched them go, Emile hadn’t said a word yet so maybe he was still daydreaming and didn’t notice the tears Roman let loose finally. Pain and emotional turmoil making him unable to stop once they started, the high pitched sound of a sob finally getting Emile’s attention. 

Logan was sat up against the wall of the hospital hallway, Virgil opposite him. There hadn’t been many people passing through, but even if there was there wasn’t much room as the two tall  grown men took up most of the width of the hallway as their feet barely brushed against each other with their legs straight out. Jon was curled up into Virgil’s side, not sleepy or tired but had his eyes closed anyway. His small hands were gripping his uncle’s hoodie pretty tight too. 

“Shit.” The teenager growled, kicking her foot against the wall Virgil was sat up against. 

“Language.” Logan said as he watched Jon flinch, keeping his eyes closed and scramble to climb into Virgil’s lap. “There’s children present.”

The movement caught the teenager’s attention and she stuttered, resigning herself to sitting criss crossed on the ground as she kept quiet. “Sorry.”

A second later Patton was hurriedly passing by the two, nearly tripping over Logan’s feet, with a kicking, screaming, and crying Thomas in his arms. Logan stood up, rushed, and followed the father toward the gender inclusive bathroom at the end of the hallway. He wondered if Patton knew that he had been behind him, but when the door got shut in his face, powering over the sound of Thomas screaming for just a moment, he got his answer. 

Logan pressed his forehead to the door, tried to focus on the muffled soothing tone coming from Patton as he tried to quiet his son, but any of the words got lost in the door separating them. He focused on the feeling of the wood pressing against his forehead, let it force an indent in his skin. The stress of it all came to him in this moment, not like a wave submerging him in a familiar hollow cavity, but an overwhelming presence from behind trying to make him one with the door. When he felt a small tear run down his face next to his nose, he had a childish urn for comfort, even though he had no reason to want it.  

As he pulled away from the door, he heard Thomas finally quiet down. Or rather, he didn’t hear his screams anymore, only short cycles of sniffs and hiccups spoken by a voice too hoarse for a little boy. Patton was speaking still, most likely through tears, at just above a whisper. The voice was soothing, oddly enough, and while Logan saw the pitch black darkness before he felt his eyes closed, he was still aware. Aware of the people watching him, the boys voices on the other side of the door, the ache in his chest. And it was exhausting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so many people thought it'd be andrew......hmmmmmmmmm like i'd be that obvious ;)
> 
> so originally this + the next chapter were going to be one but then it got to like triple the length of what i meant for it to be, so i split it up! i very much like the middle of the next chapter, it's got one of my best uses of imagery so far, we'll see if you can point it out. anyway leave a comment, i love reading them! #protectromansquad for life 
> 
> all lower cases are my aesthetic 
> 
> hit me up on here or on tumblr, i need fander friends: ascreamingstrawberry.tumblr.com


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to go up yesterday but depression was like nahh fam. hope this was good

“Let’s hurry this up.” Roman said, wiping his face the second Emile turned his back to him to close the door of the room. “Thomas needs me.” 

“He  needs you to be okay, Roman.” Emile’s voice was a different kind of tone, now that they were alone. Roman remembered him as kind of dazy, the kind of guy you wouldn’t notice leave the room until there was a quiet moment. He’d had his moments, like everyone, but Roman had always held the spotlight in the group. Not that the other two minded. Still, while he moved and looked about in a floaty kind of way, his voice was firm, unwavering, and it filled the room with a heavy energy. 

“I left Andrew. I am okay now, Emile.” Roman and Emile had similar reactions to the sound of his name in the room, a flinch. Roman shuffled, creating more tiny bits of sound as Emile breathed, both trying to dispel the feeling of his name in their ears.

“Tell that to the bruises.”  _ Must have picked up that sarcasm from his boyfriend.  _ “And the sob you think I didn’t hear a minute ago.” 

“The poor kid was screaming for me.” Roman sat up, trying to press his back straight against the pillows but they just flopped to the side, not supporting him at all. 

“He’s not my priority right now.” Emile countered. 

“Listen, Emile. I’m fine, I really am.” Emile didn’t even have to say anything that time to call Roman out on his bullshit, he just took a deep, shaky sigh before continuing. “Look out maybe I’m not, but that’s going to take time and healing and all that bs, right?”

“It’s not-” Roman’s hands flew out, surprisingly not hurting him more than a sting. 

“It’s an exaggeration, Emile.” Roman rolled his eyes. “I just meant I can’t fix my head right now. But out there Thomas, Patton, his dorky boyfriend and obnoxiously cute brother, Fid-the only family I got, they need me to be okay. They need me at their side reminding them that it’s all over, I’m alive, Andrew’s gone. Please, let me do at least that.” 

Emile bit his lip, his footing shifted, and Roman could practically see the gears running and running until- _ sigh _ . “They’re not the only family you have, Roman.”

“But you’ll let them come back?” Roman had that look on his face like a teenager who had coned their parent into letting them take the car for the weekend. Emile looked like the parent for about a split second before a smirk crossed his face.

“Obnoxiously cute one, eh?” Emile made the motion to turn his head back, not really looking, but the hush and shush he got from Roman as he stuttered was what he went for. 

“Shut up.” Roman’s face was practically the color of Emile’s tie, and it was not from the bruises.

“Never.” Emile laughed, and while most everything about him was the same just aged, his laugh was as jovial as ever. Well, it was more of a high chuckle, that his face just kinda moves with. Roman’s missed it. 

And for a second, Roman missed the past. Even though Emile and Remy were far younger, the two had always kind of knew where they were going. Roman wished he knew what he was doing. 

“Thomas! Thomas stop. Thomas please.” Patton had set him on the ground of the bathroom and he knelt down next to him, holding just above his elbows as his son thrashed about, and screamed. The sound was agonizing to Patton, not because of the pitch or the volume, Thomas just sounded so heartbroken as he wailed.

At some point Thomas stopped throwing his hands around, he didn’t want to hurt his Dad, he wanted to be with Roman. Roman was hurt, he needed him. So he just screamed, screamed until he could barely catch his breath. Thomas screamed until his lungs was empty, until his voice felt gone. Patton didn’t cover his ears, in fact his hands stayed clasped tightly in his lap as he cried listening to his son scream. Thomas didn’t why screaming made him feel better, maybe Roman could hear him, let him know he hadn’t left. Maybe he liked the flaming pain that itched at the back of his mouth as he screamed, liked the warm flush feeling that came to his face as his oxygen started to run low.

“Thomas. Stop this now. You’re hurting yourself. Thomas, you need to breath.” Patton went back to grabbing his son’s upper arms, shaking him a little. He didn’t like how easy he could shake Thomas, but he needed to breathe. Soon enough Thomas’s energy gave out, and then he just stood there, panting with his mouth open as tears swarmed down his face. The whole sight was terrifying to his father, and Patton knew the image would be etched in his mind forever. 

“Baby, stop, Thomas, please.” Patton flung himself at the boy, his knees digging into the tile of the bathroom floor but he didn’t care, as he wrapped his arms around his son. Thomas stayed still, catching his breath and crying, before pressing his face into the side of Patton’s neck and reaching a hesitant arm up to hold him. 

“I’m sorry.” Thomas’s throat hurt, his voice also sounded scratchy, but he pushed through it. He’d yelled and kicked his Dad, he’d hurt his dad. He’d hurt Roman. Tears flowed faster now, as he kept mumbling apologies into the top of Patton’s shoulder, crying harder.

“Hey. Hey. It’s okay. You can’t do that kind of stuff, I know emotions are hard ok.” Patton turned his head to the side a little, showed Thomas his raised eyebrow. Thomas nodded, reached his arm up to wipe his tears off on the sleeve of his shirt. Patton smiled, reached his hands up to hold either side of Thomas’s face, looked him straight in the eyes. “But you have to tell me when it gets bad, okay, kiddo? Or else I can’t help.” 

Thomas mumbled a ‘promise’ and Patton seemed satisfied, he tried to put on a cheerier voice, but his hurt too, from crying, from trying to soothe Thomas. “We’ve been in here so long, I think Roman might even be done!” 

“Dad?” Thomas asked when Patton stood up. 

“Yeah, kiddo?” Patton asked, reaching a hand out to ruffle Thomas’s hair as Thomas kept his eyes on the floor for a moment before looking up at him. 

“I’m sorry you have to love me.” If only Thomas could hear his actual heartbreaking. Patton wasn’t sure what was worse, the fact that Thomas felt he had to say that or by the way his voice sounded so earnest and his boy’s eyes believed it so wholeheartedly. 

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Patton pulled him against his chest, patting his head comfortingly as he felt a couple more tears drop onto the middle of his shirt from Thomas. “I choose to love you, Thomas. And I do, more than anything in the world. Why would you even think there’s a have to about it?” 

“I’m bad. Bullies pick on me-I hurt you-and Roman, and I-” Thomas spoke faster, Patton could feel his heartbeat pick up pressed right about to the middle of his abdomen. 

“Hey no, none of that is your fault. You got mad, you wanted to help, and you apologized to me, and you’re gonna apologize to Roman, and everything’s going to be okay cause you’re not going to do it again right.” One of Patton’s hands moved to the part of Thomas’s neck that met his shoulder and rubbed soothingly. “And those kids, those bullies, that’s them, Thomas, not you. Never you.”

Thomas suddenly wrapped his arms around Patton’s waist, whispered ‘I love you’ before dropping them and pulling away to wipe his face once again and then he smiled. “Let’s go.”

“I love you Thomas.” Patton kissed his head and as they left the room and even though Thomas swatted away his hands, he was laughing and looking better, at least.

“I love you more.” Thomas skipped forward as soon as the door closed behind Patton, but nearly tripped over Logan, sat on the ground with his eyes closed.

“Why don’t you go check to see if Roman’s room is open, if not, I’m sure Jon could use a friend?” Patton said and Thomas almost started running at the mention of Roman, let alone breaking out into a child-like sprint at ‘Jon’. 

And so he turned his attention to Logan, who was sat criss crossed applesauce against the wall next to the bathroom, his head leaned upward a little bit. His hair was slightly messy at the point where it met the wall, and even though his eyes were closed he had the tiniest of smiles. Patton squatted, hugging his knees to balance himself. “Oh Logan?”

“Hm?” Logan raised an eyebrow, but still kept his eyes closed. Patton leaned forward, feeling the need to boop him on the nose with his lips, when he lost his balance and his knees landed rather roughly on Logan’s thighs as his hands caught themselves against the wall. “Oof.”

“Sorry.” Patton laughed, and Logan did too, his stomach twitching at little bit, and Patton leaned backwards on his feet to spring up holding out his hand as Logan opened his eyes. 

“Hello.” He smiled brighter now.

“Hi.” Patton giggled as Logan took his hand, and Patton pulled him close to him for a just a moment only to push him back a little once he’d gained his footing, up against the wall. 

“You seem to like me in this spot.” Logan smirked, his words kind of slurred together more like sleepily singing a melody that he couldn’t remember the words to. He was still pronouncing all the syllables he just wasn’t annunciating enough. It was adorable. 

“What can I say?” Patton leaned forward even more, his lips hovering over Logan’s. “I like pressing you to things.” 

“That was really bad.” Logan laughed, and Patton thought about pouting but once he realized Logan wasn’t so much as making fun of him, he giggled. 

“I tried.” Patton shrugged, and Logan closed the distance between them as he closed his eyes, kissing him softly. Patton sighed into the kiss, his hands coming to settle around Logan’s waist but Logan’s hands stopped him. While pressing forward, still gentle as Paton smiled into the kiss breaking it a little, Logan intertwined their fingers. Patton squeezed their hands, pressing a quick peck to Logan’s lips and pulled away. 

“Fuck, you’re cute.” Logan opened his eyes to see Patton blushing.

“Yeah?” Patton said, wiggling his eyebrows. 

“Would you like to accompany me to the cafeteria, Mr. Sanders?” Logan stepped back a little, holding his elbow in front of Patton. Patton perked up, even giddier than before, and grabbed it to pull them forward, playfully. Logan fought a giggle as they walked briskly, almost skipped, past Roman’s room waving to the kids who were now back inside with the door slightly askew. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there was some angst, and some fluff, and you know what's going come next...


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry im bad at updating, this chapter started out good but was just not working out for me.

Emile was slightly judgemental, a fact not many but those closest to him knew, so Roman was not entirely surprised when he found his old friend’s gaze drifting over everyone as the children ran back into his hospital room. Thomas practically all but jumped on top of the bed, and before Roman could cover up the wince he made at being jarred, the boy froze in his movements. 

“Maybe,” Thomas paused, placing his hands down in between them, and carefully stepping back down onto the tile of the floor before sitting himself in the chair his father had been sat in before. “Maybe I should sit here instead. So I don’t hurt you again.”

Roman smiled, didn’t really say anything, but scooted a little bit closer to the edge towards Thomas and held his arm out. Thomas’s fingers danced across his palm, a tingling feeling that caused goosebumps on his arm, but then the child took his hand in his smaller one and Roman nodded. Meanwhile Jon padded over to Virgil, who let him sit on top of his lap, as Fid uncomfortably settled into the chair next to them. Virgil pulled out his phone, dialed a number and handed the phone to Jon. 

“Mommy!” Jon’s voice was light, and Thomas looked up across the room from him. Jon smiled, waving the phone. 

“Hey sweetie! How’s it going?” Elle’s voice came through kind of off, it didn’t sound as deep as Virgil knew his sister’s was. An alto, he’d learned when she had introduced to playing music. The thirteen year old’s eyes wide with a hunger for learning that he thought only his brother had, as he asked question after question.

“Okay?” Jon said, looking up at Virgil as he said so to confirm.

“Don’t lie kid.” Fid ran a hand through her hair again, fixed one of the straps of her overalls, and tucked her knees into her chest. She turned on her side, maybe attempting to get some more sleep as she tucked her head against the arm of the chair. “Once you start, you’ll never stop.” 

Jon let out a sigh, one a little too old for him, and turned back to the phone. “I wish you were here Mommy.”

Virgil’s chest ached, and he could hear the way concern slipped into his sister’s voice at the sound of her son so sad and solemn. “Daddy and I will be back soon, baby. Just four more days. Think you can last?”

Thomas looked up at him again, Jon wasn’t sure if the other boy could hear or maybe he had some sort of sense that Jon was sad. Because Thomas gave him a watery smile, there was still tear tracks dried on his warm toned face. But even so, it made Jon smile back. “Yeah. I’ll be okay.” 

Emile was leaning against the chair by the window. The seat was turned toward him, his knee resting on the cushion of it, as his elbows balanced him up right as he rested them the top of it. He wanted, well, to comfort his friend. To remove the bruises underneath his hospital gown, as well as the once that were dancing through Roman’s mind as well. But for now, the older man looked more content listening to Thomas whisper a song of some sorts. 

It was peaceful. Well, not quite. It was quiet. For nothing more than a second as Roman closed his eyes, and squeezed Thomas’s hand in his, he felt okay. 

* * *

Patton tried not to skip as he pulled Logan along, but he would have to admit that he had been quite startled when Logan tugged on his hand, stopping him. He pointed to the vending machine next to him, a small toothy grin with his tongue settled between the top and bottom sets of his teeth across his face. “This will probably be better than anything in there.” 

“Right.” Patton’s gaze fell over the rest of the cafeteria, and even though he tried to push it away, something in his head was nagging at him. 

Not anything particular really, more just a feeling, and it maybe him, well, it made him sad. And frustrated. And he didn’t know why. Patton tried to will it away as Logan guided him through the cafeteria to one of the tables, and yet the melancholy feeling just kept picking at him. Logan laid out the small array of things he’d gotten from the machine and Patton settled in the seat next to him. 

“So you work at a school?” Patton asked, hoping that maybe it would distract him from the frown tugging at every cell in his body. Not only was he suddenly out of nowhere sad, but he was frustrated. The fingers of his left hand closed tightly around the middle of red mountain dew bottle Logan had bought for him, willing to relieve the odd mixture of tension and defeat anchoring him. “What’s that like?” 

“It’s a university for gifted children from ages five through eighteen. I teach the high school leveled children, that way I can have meaningful conversations with my students.” It was like that old cheesy metaphor Patton heard all the time, a person’s eyes lighting up when they talk about something they love. But it wasn’t just Logan’s eyes; it was his smile in the way that it lifted at the edges of his mouth, his shoulders as they somehow sat both relaxed and proud, even in his feet the way the both stayed planted on the floor but he was also leaning forward toward Patton the tiniest bit. “Jon actually attends their youngest program for musicians.”

“That’s incredible. What kind of instruments do they teach?” The irritation in Patton’s bones was slipping slowly, even if the destitute feeling was still hugging him tightly. 

“Ukulele, guitar, drums, piano-the works.” Logan replied, reaching his hand out to gently and silently pry Patton’s now almost white fingers from the red mountain dew bottle, laying the shorter man’s hand on the table. Logan’s fingers danced along the lines of Patton’s hand, smiling softly to himself. 

“Thomas plays at least two of those.” Patton replied in the ope0n, the silence quickly swifting away as if it had never been there in the first place. 

“I could get him an audition you know,” Logan’s fingers continued their quest to trace every line of Patton’s hands, stopping short when a line wrapped around to the other side, like the little wrinkles on his knuckles that no one ever paid attention to. “There’s a family and friends scholarship and everything.” 

“That’d be wonderful.” Patton smiled, carefully turning his hand over, stopping Logan’s fingers but also giving him the chance to take the taller man’s hand in his. Logan lifted their hands up, kissed Patton’s hand and then sat them back down on the table. Patton blushed again. “Why’d you want to become a teacher?” 

Patton felt a tug on his hand, almost like Logan was pulling away, and when he looked up, the taller man had a frown on his face. Patton couldn’t help but feel even worse. Of course he had to go and upset him. But Logan wasn’t pulling away, not  exactly, he was pulling Patton’s hand towards him, hopefully to use as an anchor. “I had a rough couple years of high school, and I just thought-”

The taller man was shaking, not just in his hands, but it was like his body was forcing the information out, or at least reliving some kind of . Logan cleared his throat, and Patton leaned over the table to press a kiss to his cheek, encouraging him to continue but hopefully getting across that he wouldn’t mind if he didn’t. 

Logan took a shaky breath and then spoke pretty fast, much like that first night. Patton hadn’t moved his face away, didn’t mind the table poking into his stomach and the bad feeling still wrapped around the middle of chest. “Can I tell you another time?” 

“Of course.” Patton said, leaning over just that little bit more to press a kiss to his lips. Logan released a breath that he’d been holding against Patton’s lips, causing it to tickle the nerves there, and he giggled. Logan smiled against him, giving him a short peck, before pulling away, looking much more relaxed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will be up soon.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry its been so long. I've been having a rough time, but I tried to finish this chapter, even with a black eye.

The rest of the day spent at the hospital after Patton and logan returned, and Roman was deemed stable enough to return home, passed rather slowly for Thomas. Especially since Virgil had taken Jon home rather early, and while Thomas was sad to see his newly found friend go, Jon hadn’t looked to be having too much fun after hanging up with his mom anyways. He had been wiggling in his spot on Virgil’s lap, a frown across his face, and not even Thomas’s favorite song from Hercules could cheer him up. 

By the time Logan was driving them home with Roman wincing everytime they hit a pothole, Thomas was practically jumping over him to get out of the car and into the house. Everyone had been talking in hushed voices so Thomas wouldn’t hear, and the seven year old was just happy to be back home where hopefully everything would go back to normal.

Only it didn’t. 

Sure, Logan left the eventually, kissing his dad on the lips a little too long in Thomas’s opinion as Patton walked him out the door. And Fid and Roman were staying with them, but he wasn’t holed up on the couch and instead was laid out on Patton’s bed where Logan had carried him to,a  and the door was all but locked shut from Thomas with Fid inside taking care of him. Patton immediately came over to where Thomas was bouncing on the couch, flicking through the two or three channels they could afford on the tv, and pulled the boy up and into his arms. 

Thomas sighed, willing himself to breathe as he wrapped his arms around his father’s waist, hoping to comfort him. Patton was smiling when he pulled away, and soon enough Thomas’s attention was drawn to Patton’s bedroom door opening and closing softly. Fid was standing with her backside toward them, just stood with her handle on the door and when Thomas got his dad to look, Patton smiled at the teenager. “Everything ok, kiddo?”

“Of course.” Fid turned around, her short dark hair flapping against her ear with the movement. Patton hadn’t gotten to know her too well over the past couple of days, but if she was close with Roman  then he figured he probably should. “I just wanted to do like dinner for you guys?”

“Oh you-” Patton could barely get two words out. 

“No I want to, I mean it’s the least I could do when you’re letting me stay here.” Fid nodded, shyness disappeared from her features before she headed to the tiny little kitchen workspace they had. “What would you guys like?”

“I don’t care, but I bet it will taste good.” Thomas smiled, skipping around his father once before pointing behind him toward his bedroom door. “I’m gonna go do homework.” 

“Ok kiddo.” Patton pushed playfully at the back of his head, Thomas laughing as he went to his room, closing the door behind him with a sigh. His father probably didn’t here it, but as soon as he heard the voices in the kitchen pick up the seven year old sighed again. 

He kicked at the air, loosely remembering not to knock anything so it didn’t break or cause any noise, and threw his hands about. Unbeknownst to him, there were frustrated tears collecting at his eyes, and slowly slipping down his face where he tried to vigorously wipe them away. No matter how mature he considered himself to be, he was still young enough to want to throw a temper tantrum. To scream, even though he knew that wouldn’t fix anything. So when he just breathless enough to feel tired, he collapsed face first on his bed, pressing his face into his comforter. He kept still as a board, groaning once, but it was muffled by his bedding and the only sound afterwards were Fid and Patton’s. 

Fid started something simple, a meat stew, while Patton sat himself at the table, facing her. He watched as she cooked with ease, something she must of been comfortable with, which Patton could relate to. While he preferred baking, the two activities were so similar that he could guess something about it calmed Fid. Only he wanted to know a little bit more about why she needed it. 

She must of noticed his staring, because as she was adding the carrots, her throat cleared. Not a second later, a deeper rustic voice brought Patton’s gaze from the pot in front of her all the way up to her hazel eyes. “You can ask anything you want, you know?”

_ Where to start?  _ Patton thought to himself, there was so many things he didn’t know, things he should know if this teenager was going to be staying in his home. And yet he couldn’t find the first question. “You know Roman?”

“Yeah.” Fid laughed, setting the pot behind her on closest left burner of the stove, setting it to low on the switch underneath it. “But I’m assuming you kind of what to know how?”

“Yeah.” Patton replied. “Sorry, it’s been a rough couple of days.”

“I imagine.” The teenager replied. “Well, it’s fairly new. Less than a year, and he and I were working similar hours and he broke up a fight a client had tried to start with me.” 

“What kind of fight?” Patton asked, standing up as she came stepped away from the stove, the two switching places. They moved around each other easily, comfortably. 

“Kind of like the one I was in when that cop tried to admit me for the scratches on my face.” Fid shrugged, walking over to Patton’s bedroom, and turning the knob slowly to not make any noise. She was still talking though, just quieter. “I’m not allowed to make house calls, and with some of the people we get you can only imagine how they react.” 

“Why aren’t you allowed to make house calls?” Patton scooted over to where she was peeking her head in at Roman, trying to get a glimpse of him too. He was sleeping, from what it looked like. His hair was messy and flat to his head, and based on the soft little snores, he was at least sleeping soundly. 

“Cause I’m only seventeen.” Fid replied, pulling the door closed when Roman shifted toward the noise turning on his side, only to wince and shift back the way he had been. 

“You’re seventeen!” Patton’s hand whipped out before he could stop it, smacking against the teenager’s shoulders. Thankfully Fid took in good nature, laughing it off, and made to return to the stew on the stove. “You told that officer like fifty times that you weren’t a minor.”

“I lied, Pat.” Fid rolled her eyes. 

“Don’t roll your eyes at me, young lady.” Patton playfully growled back. Well, part playfully, the other part completely serious. “You shouldn’t be in our line of work at seventeen.” 

“Cool it, Grandpa. We all got to pay the bills somehow.” Fid shrugged, turning the burner on higher, keeping her back to Patton. The scratches along her face stopped at her jaw, at least from what Patton could see, and her hair stopped just a little bit longer than that. It looked like it was meant to be styled up, with gel or something, but her hair was short enough so that without it, it just laid flat. 

“So do you live alone?” Patton asked through a yawn, not really feeling up to ask anything more serious. 

“Yeah, a little shoe box on the other side of town.” Fid said, balancing on her elbows against the counter next to the stove. Her face stuck out over the pot, and Patton could see her nostrils flare momentarily, before her face relaxed at the delicious aroma. Patton smelled the air too, the scent causing his stomach to grumble in agreement, and soon enough he was calling Thomas in to eat. 

Thomas was in pajamas, a pair of dark purple shorts and a white shirt that Patton wasn’t sure the last time that he’d seen Thomas in. The bruises and cuts on his face from the bullies last week were still on his face, cutting Patton emotionally. His son yawned, waving around the papers in his hands as he stretched and joined Patton at the table. 

“Got to finish my homework.” Thomas mumbled, setting it next to his bowl of stew. Fid sat down next to them, silent and tired, but by the time Patton’s phone chimed, her head was almost dropping into her stew. “What’s that?”

“Your audition to The Buchanan School of Talent.” Patton said coyly, sending Logan a heart in return, while Thomas looked up at him and smiled. “It’s on Saturday.”

“I’m not ready for that!” The seven year old squeaked, turning to scarf down his meal.

“Hey! Chill.” Patton laughed, pulling on his shirt sleeve to lift his face from the bowl up. He had a little bit of sauce smeared around underneath his lower lip so he reached over to clean it with a napkin as he continued. “We’re going to keep you out til that face of yours heals, so you’ll have plenty of time to practice.’

“Okay.” Thomas sighed. 

Dinner ended relatively soon after that, and Fid shooed Patton away from the couch, insisting he share the other half of his bed. Patton thanked her, texted Logan goodnight, and went to bed in his day clothes because he was so tired, knowing he would have to go back to work in the morning. The thought kept away until the moment he was lying face up on the side of his bed that he didn’t normally sleep on, and in an attempt to keep himself from getting sick, he closed his hand over his mouth.

Tears fought their way out of his eyes, agonizingly slow and painful as he tried to keep himself quiet for Roman, still asleep next to him. Unbeknownst to him, across town, Logan was falling asleep with a smile on his face, his phone just an inch away from him on his bed, dreaming of beautiful green eyes and freckles. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PREPARE FOR IT TO GET SMUTTY. I MEAN REAL SMUTTY.
> 
> Also, I've been thinking of separating parts of the story into kind of like 'Books' just so its easier to follow the narrative, cause this is long, like real long. This is like the first 30% of it. What do you think?


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry I've been gone so long, life smacked me in the face there for a while and I came out with a lot more quirks and bruises. But anyway we're hopefully back in full swing! At least the next couple chapters, I'll try to update once every two weeks because I work 2 jobs and go to school full time. Enjoy!

Life moved on, for the most part, for a while at least. Well, two days. For two days, Patton was able to distract himself with work and helping Thomas with his audition, while taking care of Roman and looking at bigger places to live. Two days of flirting, smiles, and pretending to breathe easier, and Logan had to go and disrupt Patton’s blissful ignorance. 

Patton was the first to wake up, surprisingly, considering it wasn’t until eleven that he finally decided to remove his face from his pillow. He did his best to just fling himself out of bed quickly, as to not disturb Roman next to him. Thankfully he didn’t even stir when Patton landed about a foot and a half away from the bed, those painkillers must really knock him out. 

His phone dinged from its place next to the bed, he tiptoed over to it, cradling the phone to his chest as he scurried out of the room once he’d grabbed it. Looking down, he had a notification on his reminder to head to work at 2, and a text from Logan. 

_ Good morning, hope you slept well? What are you doing today? - L  _

When he softly padded toward the kitchen, he caught sight of Fid on the couch. Well,  Fid was more hanging off the side of the couch, her whole upper body completely on the floor. He thought about moving her back onto the couch, but she groaned and as soon as he even reached the couch. 

_ Good morning to you too ;P. Ah you know, taking care of Roman, work. The usual. -P _

_ Care to call me real quick? - L _

Patton set his phone on the table, pressing the phone logo underneath Logan’s contact picture, and putting the device on speaker as he walked over to start grabbing dishes for breakfast. The phone barely rang, Logan picked up almost immediately. “Lo?”

“Good morning. You didn’t answer my question, about sleeping well. ” Logan sounded kind of far away, Patton almost wondered if he was also up making breakfast, but looking at the time, he realized he should be heading to work. 

“You’re not driving with your phone in your hand, are you?” Patton asked, pulling out eggs and some vegetables, surely no one in the house would mind a simple breakfast. They were all just being couch potatoes for most of this week anyway. 

“Of course not. Bluetooth, dear.” Logan said, and if Patton felt like it he could almost imagine Logan driving with his head stuck forehead so his voice was closer to the microphone on the steering wheel. “You still haven’t answered my question.” 

“You didn’t phrase it like a question, Lo.” Patton found an early morning smile as he heard Logan’s little exasperated sigh, reaching down into the bottom of his cabinet to pull out his cutting board. 

“Of course I did, I added a question mark at the end of the sentence.” The sound of turn signal sounded surprisingly loud in the somewhat shaky sound of Logan’s side of the call. Patton stopped from spreading chopped peppers into the eggs cooking on his stove to turn the volume on his phone down a couple of notches, he didn’t need anyone waking up grouchy. 

“That doesn’t make it a question.” Patton felt giddy, something of a bounce hidden in his step as he moved about the kitchen, life was okay, or at least that what it seemed like falling into the back forth with Logan. 

“Fine, then, I have a more important question anyway.” Logan said, of course breaking Patton’s perfectly blissfully ignorant equilibrium. 

“Yes?” He said, a nervous noise trying to claw its way up his throat before he swallowed it back down. 

“Do you want to go out after work with me? Like alone. Together.” From the sounds of it, Logan had pulled over. There was the faint sound of hissing that Patton could recognize as cars passing by when your window was cracked open just the tiniest bit. 

“Are you asking me on a date Mr. Foley?” Patton hummed, relaxing as he heard Logan clear his throat, a tiny series of coughs causing him to giggle. 

“Yes sir, I am.” Logan replied, composure barely back in his voice. 

“Why yes, I’d love to. I’m on call til 7. What time would you like to go?” Patton reached over to grab four cups from the cabinet and set them out over the little island, listening as Logan flicked his turn signal on, merging back onto traffic. 

“I’ll pick you up from wherever you are when you get done.” Logan said, and just then Patton heard the sound of another voice. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” He asked, turning to his phone, his full attention on trying to discern the other voice he could hear in the very background of Logan’s phone call. 

“I am on my lunch break. Someone had a rough morning and I wanted to take him out for lunch.” Logan said. “Jon say hi to Patton.”

“Hi Mr. Sanders.” Jon called from what Patton assumed was the backseat of Logan’s car. 

“Hi Jon. And you can just call me Pat, kiddo.” Patton replied cheerfully, listening to the two comment on their lunch for a couple moments before Patton heard movement in his own house. Looking up from his phone that held Logan’s contact picture and name he saw Thomas padding over to the island, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He hadn’t noticed Roman trying to clamber his way out of the bedroom either, so he quickly ran over and let him use him as a crutch. 

“Logan, I’m going to let you go. My wayward misfits are waking up.” Patton sighed, helping Roman down on to one of the seats at the island. 

“Inform your boyfriend that I am neither wayward nor a misfit.” Fid grumbled from her spot on the couch, before attempting to stand up. Her arms, still jelly from just waking up, gave out but instead of flopping against the couch, her body was already tilted toward the ground. The thud of her body hitting the living room floor startled Thomas, but his wide eyes and tense shoulders relaxed as he burst into adorable, childish laughter.

“Everything alright?” Logan’s voice rang over the other two adults in the room that has also started chuckling, as the teenager stood, rubbing her hand over her face. 

“No.” Fid groaned, dragging her feet over to the smell of breakfast.

“Yes.” Patton’s giggle was high and happy, and he was completely unaware that the man on the other end of the line would give anything to continue listening to the sound. “I’ll see you tonight, Logan.” 

“See you tonight, Patton. Would your misfits like Virgil and Jon to come over to hang out?” Logan said, emphasizing hang out in a way that made Jon giggle, the six year old’s feet kicking against his backseat pounded a little faster, excited. 

“We’re not misfits!”  _ Not Patton.  _

“I wouldn’t mind the Emo angel nursing me back to help.” _ Not. Patton.  _

“Jon’s coming?”  _ Still not Patton. _

“Of course, Lo, I’m sure my misfits would love that.” Patton said, the sound of chewing fading in the background even though Logan could still hear a muffled Fid fighting the nickname. Logan and Patton said goodbye, and Logan pulled back into the school, his lunch break nearly over. 

“You and Patton are going on a date?” Jon asked, unbuckling himself despite Logan telling him not to do that. 

“Yes.” Logan replied, getting out and opening the door for his nephew. The six year old jumped, nearly toppling over on the landing, but Logan made sure to grab underneath his armpit. Hoisting him up, the teacher saved him from heading face first into the concrete of the parking lot and the six year old thanked him, not looking too phased as he adjusted his button up, staring at the school. 

“Are you going to introduce him to Grandpa?” Jon asked, not moving an inch, turning his body all but in the complete opposite direction of the school.

“Hopefully.” Logan replied, watching the way Jon stared at the car longingly. “Come on pal it’s only a couple more hours.” 

“Of hell.” Jon muttered.

“Jonathan!” Logan reprimanded.

“You and Virgil say it.” Jon said, crossing his arms, staring up at him. The two locked eyes and while Logan tried his best to remain stoic. 

He lost. 

“Never repeat that again.” He grumbled, watching the six year old’s confident facade fall for a moment, and Logan set his hand on Jon’s shoulder, breaking out into a smile. “And never tell your mother I let you get away with it, just this once. Now get to class, you’ll be late.” 

* * *

“Remy.” Emile whined, breathy and completely unconvincing because his fiancee was currently extremely focused on the task of kissing along the two half moon scars underneath each of his nipples, causing Emile’s back to arch and push toward Remy. An endless, painful and pleasant circle.

“Just a little while longer.” Remy mumbled, kissing up Emile’s chest to press lightly against his lips. The relieve gave Emile a moment to catch his breath and finally have enough reserve to push his fiancee off him, playfully. 

“It’ll take less than an hour I promise.” Emile climbed off the bed, throwing on a shirt, and sprinting toward the front door, knowing well he wouldn’t be able to resist their tempting bed and a day at home much longer. 

“Fine.” Remy caught up to him, skating across the hard wooden floor in his socks, nearly clashing into Emile as he attempted to get his shoes on. Emile stopped him by a grip on his arm, and Remy learned over, pressing a kiss to Emile’s neck. Slowly, as Emile finished getting his shoes on, Remy had reached up to the spot behind Emile’s ear, nibbling lightly. 

“That’s not fair.” Emile whined as Remy pulled away. 

“See you when you get back dear.” Remy called, scurrying away to their bedroom just as Emile felt the warmth in his stomach slowly travel down to the spot in between his legs, slightly uncomfortable.

“You’re despicable.” Emile grumbled, opening the door. 

“Love you too.” Remy called, shutting the bedroom door but not before dropping the dark grey boxers he had on, shaking his lower half a little. 

“Love you too, you flapjackin tease.” Emile all but ran to the car, driving a little faster than he normally would to get to the hospital. He rushed through the doors,fully intent on getting to the psych hallway, into his office to grab the files he needed and then exiting the hospital once more, not speaking a word to another soul as he fled back to the spot underneath his fiancee on their bed. 

He’d just about accomplished his goal when he noticed one of the secretaries at the main office looking rather uncomfortable on the phone. He shot her a questioning eyebrow and she covered the speaker of the phone and pulled it away from her face. “Some guy’s trying to get the whereabouts of a patient we’ve already released.”

Emile reached over, taking the phone from her, a man’s grumbled voice that sounded vaguely familiar still talking. “Sir this is Dr. Picani, now if you give us the name of the patient we can get you in contact with their emergency contact.”

As soon as Emile had started talking the man went silent, and then the line went dead.

He shrugged, handing the phone back to the secretary, letting her know that the guy had hung up, and tried to keep the situation out of his mind for the drive home, because as soon as he stepped out of the hospital he received an image from his fiancee. 

A rather inappropriate image.

Sigh.

Remy was going to be the death of him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyy next chapter is those smexy times I promised.


End file.
